Something's Up - AC AU
by AngelusKitty-writes
Summary: Four Best Friends, Paul Harkensen, Angelus Smaug, Gabrielle Harlan, and Jose Moran, are low-ranked Assassins, everything changes one day when Angelus is sent off to Jerusalem unexpectedly and Jose senses something is amiss. What will they discover once they arrive? I only own the character Angelus Smaug. Actual names and likeliness of fictional characters' are purely coincidental
1. Chapter 1

"Hurry up!" The brunette called to her two friends running behind her "If you don't start running faster, you'll miss out!" the brunette girl stood with her back to the building's edge, ready to leap at any given moment. A girl with ringlet-ted raven hair and a Peruvian boy stood in front of her catching their breath after having to chase her up a ten story building at full speed just to keep up. "Jeez Angelus.. who have YOU been training with and not telling us about?" the raven-haired girl inquired. "Oh no one~ Now c'mon let's go!" Angelus shouted as she did a swan-dive off of the building into a hay pile below. The raven-haired girl jumped off followed by the boy after her.

Once on foot, Angelus took off in a full sprint again calling out to her comrades "Gab! Jose! I'd like to get there before sunset!" to which Gab the raven-haired girl grumbled in annoyance and chased after her with Jose in-tow.

The three walked into the designated area and waited for the final member of their quartet to arrive. Gab bounced on her heels in excitement and Jose looked around eagerly, Angelus just leaned against a wall acting unimpressed. "There he is!" Jose shouted and the three of them all ran over to congratulate their friend. "Congrats on finally getting out of the novice ranks buddy!" Jose hollered while clapping a hand down on the honey-brown haired man's shoulder. "Now you can actually hang out with us without getting into shit with Malik and Altair." Angelus tittered out obviously remembering all the times the young man had gotten yelled at.

"Thanks guys, it's great to be part of the real ranks." The honey-haired man smiled. "So what are you planning on doing now, Paul?" Gab asked the honey-haired man, who will now be referred to as Paul. "Oh I dunno, get wasted?" Paul chuckled at himself "LET'S DO THIS" Angelus shouted excitability at the mention of alcohol to which her three friends erupted in a chorus of chuckles.

"Here you go folks, four Kamikaze's. Gimme a ring if you need anything else" the waitress said with a smile while setting the drinks down and leaving right after. "I purpose a toast. To Paul! The best new assassin in our division!" the four toasted while saying 'To Paul' in unison and drinking their cocktails.

After a few rounds of various shots and cocktails, the quartet decided that maybe it was time to stop. Angelus was a little more than tipsy and Jose was way past drunk. The two of them were stumbling idiots singing obnoxiously loud down the streets as Gab and Paul were left to escort them back to their designated rooms.

"Everyone shut up and get out of my way." was the first thing to grace Angelus' lips when she got out of bed that morning. Gab was laughing her ass off the whole day at Angelus' bitchiness and Jose's sleepiness. Paul just shook his head at them especially when Angelus said something beyond rude to Malik, and was escorted away by him as a result and hasn't been seen for the past 2 hours.

"What do you think happened with Angelus and Malik?" Gab asked concerned for her friend. "My money's only that he's forcing her into being his slave for the rest of the day" retorted Jose lazily. "Well whatever happened" began Paul "It will have to wait for later. I've got my first job and can't be bothered with this right now." with that, Paul scurried off to do whatever he was assigned to do.

Gab and Jose looked at each other and both smiled deviously. "You're thinking what I'm thinking?" inquired Gab "awww yeah" answed Jose "Spying" they both said and scampered off to spy on both Angelus and Paul.

"First of all," began the one-armed man "I must inquire if you can repeat what you said to me earlier." The short, blue-eyed girl looked up at the older assassin, seemingly unaffected by his intimidation tactics. "What? 'shut your face you single append-aged ninny'?" she spat in a casual, somewhat mocking tone. Malik sneered at her and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Listen closely when I tell you this: it is not my fault I lost my arm. I lost it for my brother. It is a constant reminder of the pain I experienced because of that fools' arrogance." He spoke in a growl-like whisper, barring his teeth and giving her a look that could wilt flowers. She nodded lightly at him and he tore his hand from her chin roughly, making her head jerk a bit. "I understand sir. While I cannot begin to understand the torment you have gone through, I can comprehend when I am in the wrong. I apologize for the things I uttered, though I doubt you will show me forgiveness." the younger one looked down at her feet, feeling ashamed. She heard a low chuckle and glanced up to see the older assassin smirking at her; confused, she furrowed her brow at him. "I never thought I'd live to see the day one as proud as yourself step down and admit to something willingly. It's rather amusing." He took a few steps towards her, which she instinctively backwards mirrored until her lower back was flush against the railing of the balcony they stood on. He placed his hand on the railing beside her hip and leaned in next to her ear. "Remember your place, poppet. Next time I might not be so lenient." he whispered darkly before letting his teeth graze her ear, smirking down at her flushed expression, and leaving as if nothing had happened; her knees caved in and she sunk to the ground, still comprehending what had just occurred.

"Ew." was the first thing that came out of Jose's mouth. "Oh shut up already that was hot and you know it." Gabrielle retorted while delivering a smack to his forearm. They had watched that whole scene unfold from two balcony's above and one to the left. Totally undetectable, to their knowledge at least. "Oh, pardon me. I meant, EW." Jose stuck out his tongue at Gabrielle "You don't know what romance is." Gab spat back at him, cupping her face with both of her hands, dreamy-eyed. "That wasn't romance. That was a higher-ranked assassin asserting his dominance over a foul-mouthed novice!" Gabrielle looked at him, perplexed. "'Novice'? Jose, Angelus outranks both of us as well as Paul. She's not too far below Mister Al-Sayf." Jose shook his head "Never mind that! The point is that this isn't romance, no matter how you look at it." Gabrielle giggled "If that's what you wanna believe~" she sighs "If only Altair would give me the time of day..." Jose pretends to dry heave and Gabrielle sighs again. "Anyhow, let's go spy on Paul!"

"OH MY GODS!" a woman screamed from the streets at the corpse lying there. "yeah, yeah, put a sock in it would ya?" the honey-haired assassin muttered to himself while fleeing the scene, not wanting to get chased again and have to kill more than necessary. He had been sent out today to gather information and report back immediately. _'Just like I did as a novice. Oh, but this is more risky! Yeah right they aren't gonna let me do anything cool right away.._' He thought to himself, whilst hopping from one building to the next. Nothing fun was going to happen so long as he just stayed in the basic assassin ranks. "Hi there!" I high pitched voice called from behind Paul; to which he shouted a 'gaah!' and tripped then fell on his ass. He looked up to see his ringlet-ted haired fried Gabrielle standing in front of him, hands behind her back. "Oh, Gab what the hell!?" he said quickly in an annoyed tone. She grinned "I got bored, and Jose's here too!" she said that as Jose's head peaked up over the side of the roof they were standing on and he uttered a 'Hel-lo~'. The vexatious look on Paul's face sent a shiver down his friends' spines. "Where's the fourth member of our idiotic quartet?" Gabrielle smiled at him as he stood and brushed himself off "ooh she's just spending some quality time with someone~" she snickered to which Jose rolled his eyes as he hoisted himself onto the roof.

"Gab's been going on and on ever since Mal told Ang off. Sayin' they shoulda made out or somethin'." Jose use of excessive nicknaming confused Paul for a moment. "So, did she tell him yet or not?" "Jose shook his head "Nah, I reckon she'll never do it. Besides, isn't he married?" The three looked between themselves and shrugged in unison. "I'm pretty sure he isn't I don't see a ring." Gabrielle chimed in "Well, he doesn't have a ring finger to speak of." Paul tittered and the other two giggled slightly, the joke had started to lose it's charm. They both decided to join Paul on his mission until he was done, despite his objections. They finished up and returned to the base.

They came back to see the base basically empty and Angelus coming down the steps carrying a bag along with her. "Oh hey you're just in time to see me off." She smiled at them "See you off? You're going on a mission this late in the evening?" Paul inquired and Angelus shook her head "Nah. I'm going to Jerusalem for a bit. Boss sent me on urgent business and I probably won't be back for a month at least." her three friends looked at her wide eyed "but isn't it really dangerous there?" Jose added to the interrogation "Most likely. I'll have Malik to keep me company since he's station in the Bureau in Jerusalem. He was told Altair was to join him but I took his place." She smiled "I have no idea what might happen there. In event of my death..." she looks at her comrades seriously "...Jose gets any of my leftover belongings." Jose grinned "That's my best friend for ya!" the quartet laughed as Angelus saluted them, and walked past them. About to start her descent down them mountain. They waved as she left and as soon as she was out of sight, Jose spoke up "I'm betting on copulation." Gabrielle and Paul looked at him as a pause hung in the air for a moment, before the three erupted in laughter.

The sound of a single horse trotting filled the night air as the lone horse walked the path slowly, its hooded rider looking around the area to make certain everything was clear. Riding at night was dangerous enough but especially risky when you are alone. She still had a ways to go before she reached Jerusalem, sighing, her foggy breath filled the air around her mouth for a moment before vanishing. She was nervous, but she told herself this was safer than risking being caught by fully awake bandits. There would be at most a single bandit awake at each camp sight who would be easy to outrun in case of emergency. Every once in a while there was a rustle in the bushes or a splash in the ocean off the cliff she rode on which she could only hope were small creatures that could do her no harm. She still was cautious, which is out of character for the boastful Angelus. She swallowed and urged her horse to quicken his pace, not wanting to risk anything. She could only pray that the inky shadows she sometimes spotted in her peripherals were simply rats and not anything potentially deadly.

Paul was awoken roughly the next morning by Jose pushing him out of bed him and Gabrielle hollering for him to get up. He groaned in a groggy daze as Jose forced him to get up and get changed while Gabrielle waited outside the room. Paul's two friends dragged the groggy individual downstairs and informed him about what was going on, even though he barely understood a word they were saying in his daze. The next thing he knew he was on a horse with Gabrielle and Jose rode solo "Hey Paul, did you hear a word we said?" Paul looked up with a grouchy expression "Something about a mission, right?" the two nodded "Yeah, we're being sent to Damascus for a while until this situation calms down." Gabrielle smiles "And when we're done there we can visit Angelus! I'm sure with Malik yelling at her all the time she'd welcome the company." Paul nods and yawns, resting his head on Gabrielle's back and closing his eyes, allowing sleep to take him once again. His two friends just laughed and continued riding, not wanting to bother him anymore than they already had.

"So, when do you think they'll notice all three of us are gone?" Gabrielle said quietly "Once everyone else wakes up and the boss-man realizes the others three of the four idiots are missing." Jose said, gazing into the distance. "Why did you want to do this? You know how much trouble we'll get in..." Gabrielle trailed off "I can't shake the feeling that something is amiss." They approached a fork in the road "Well, this is where we separate. Take good care of Paul while I'm gone, alright?" Jose smiled reassuringly "And you make sure Angelus doesn't get killed... I know she's strong but-" "I know, I'm worried about her too." Jose and Gabrielle smiled at each other, before heading opposite directions; One heading to Jerusalem, the other to Damascus.

_'Hold on Ang, I won't let them go through with this.'_ Jose thought as he sped up.


	2. Chapter 2

Angelus smiled to herself as she quietly lowered herself into the secluded area that was marked by the symbol of the brotherhood not too far from the rooftop entrance; she was attempting to be as quiet as she was physically able so as not to alert the older assassin who was waiting inside. Peaking around the doorway, she could see the man with his nose buried into a book and his back to the counter which would make her silent advance towards him easy. She propped her head on her hands and rested her elbows on the counter, then cleared her throat to grab his attention. "I was aware of your presence the moment you stepped onto the roof." chimed the older male with his back to Angelus. She pouted to herself and stood up straight as Malik turned to face her "but what i wasn't aware of is that _you_ were in Jerusalem, poppet." she shrugged "The boss said Altair was to report to Damascus so in his stead I came here. I pray you are not too disappointed with the arrangements." a smile pulled at the corners of Malik's mouth "I will advise you to refrain from referring to Al Mualim in such a casual manner; remember he is the Superior to us both. but I digress, it is a welcomed change seeing as I'd rather be cornered by wild dogs than have to put up with the novice's arrogance for days. Though you're not much better..." his eyes twitched into a glare for a moment and she sighed "I apologized didn't I? What more can I do to earn your forgiveness!?" her voice had started to raise as well as her irritated mood.

Malik closed his book and slammed it onto the counter roughly, now staring her out with his signature intense gaze. "Do you have rocks in your skull!? I have already made myself clear. You have already stated that you do not expect forgiveness, which I have not given yet. Am I going mad or did we not discuss this?" she nods "Then get out of my face before I lose all composure." He glared at her and she backed away, frowning at him before leaving. She climbed out of the Bureau and begun her journey on the rooftops to gather the necessary information she needed to accomplish the task that had been assigned to her; she slowed into a jog which transitioned to walking pace and huffed to herself. _'I don't get it; all he ever does is yell at me. Am I really such a nuisance that he can't talk to me like a living creature?'_ She looked at her palms and sighed. _'I suppose I just need to face the facts: Malik is never going to see me as an equal. Let alone a-'_ her thoughts were cut off by the shriek of a woman being attacked by the Templar knights. She smirked to herself and whispered "Guess that's my cue." before leaping off the building she stood upon, blade in-hand.

"Wake up already!" was the only thing Paul heard before he was violently thrown onto the ground, letting out a wail as his head made contact with the dirt before the rest of him. Following his fall, he heard a gasp. "Oh sorry I didn't mean to push you off so roughly" came the soft voice of Gabrielle as she stooped down to help him stand. "You couldn't of just, i don't know, woken me up WITHOUT dropping me off the horse?" Paul barked in annoyance. Gabrielle chortled and stood up with Paul "I said I was sorry jeez... besides I've been trying to wake you up gently for the past mile and a half but you just wouldn't budge. I was trying to tell you that we had to get off the horse before entering the city since they'll be less suspicious of us if we're on foot." Paul looked around, just now noticing the other people walking past the them both and their horse nowhere to be seen; Gabrielle gestured towards the gate as they walked in, camouflaged by a group of similarly dressed men.

Once inside the city, the pair took to the rooftops to avoid any and all possible threats. "Hey, where's Jose?" inquired Paul "Oh, uhh, he rode on ahead of us a while ago to make sure the path was clear. We should meet up with him soon enough." Paul raised an eyebrow at her "Jose would never do a thing like that, he's scared of his own shadow!" Gabrielle nods at her friend "Exactly! He wanted to be extra safe!" She grabbed onto Paul's wrists and began dragging him "Let's go look for Jose!" she chimed, trying to distract Paul.

-

_'Please be alright... Please!'_ Thought the Peruvian boy as he sprinted across the rooftops searching for his comrade. He looked around frantically and only stopped when he heard a large commotion coming from the streets and the sounds of swords clashing against one-another. He ran in the direction the noise was coming from but by the time he arrived it had gotten quieter and he saw a lone assassin speaking to a man who looked at hir((A/N: 'hir' is a gender-neutral pronoun. Used it since Jose isn't sure who the assassin is yet)) with gratitude-filled eyes as he spoke something inaudible to Jose. The assassin who was being spoken to nodded at the man before fleeing the scene, Jose followed hir quietly and watched as they climbed on top of a building near to him. The assassin turned to look at Jose and did a double-take before pointing a finger at him, mouth agape. "J-Jose?" the assassin called in the familiar, feminine voice of Angelus and Jose stepped closer to her, now only a few feet away. "Who's asking?" he inquired in a playful tone. "I'm kidding of course, I know it's you Ang." He smiled "What the hell are you doing here!? You're supposed to be back at the base!" she said rather loudly "I'll explain later. Right now we need to get you to the Bureau and patch you up." he gestured towards Angelus's arm, which was bleeding from a wound in it's upper area. "I don't think it's that bad that we have to get it fixed immediately. I can still move it just fine." she said whist flailing it a bit and Jose rolled his eyes before grabbing the wrist of her uninjured arm and dragging her away.

~at the Bureau~

"Oh for the love of- what did you DO?" Malik said while holding his forehead in his palm. Angelus looked away from him rather childishly "I was rescuing some townsfolk from the Templar and one of them decided to slice me." she said bluntly "Though I don't see the point in getting it patched up I'm not in any pain." Malik squinted his eyes at her "Do not mention arm pain in my presence. Hurry up and take your robe off so we can be done here and put this carelessness past us." he said while placing a small box filled with medical supplies on the workspace. Jose made Angelus sit on the counter after taking her outer robes off, leaving her with her arms exposed. Malik pressed a antiseptic drenched cloth into her wound and she flinched "Are you not a grown woman? Quit acting like a child." Malik spat at her as her eyes grew a bit and Jose chimed in "I swear to the powers that be if I wasn't around you'd have died of an infection by now." He said with his arms akimbo.  
"You need to start being more careful, do you hear?" Jose looked at her seriously. "You're acting as if I was putting my life in danger, 'tis a flesh wound!" Angelus retorted and Malik tightened the bandage around her forearm. "He has a point, Smaug; you have value to the brotherhood and it would be a shame to lose one such as yourself" Malik voiced and looked at her when she turned her head to face him, looking at him with a baffled expression. "I never thought I'd hear you say anything like that. I had begun to think you hated me." Malik shook his head "I do not hate you but concurrently I do not particularly favor you. I simply know your importance to the brotherhood and know that Al Mualim has seen great potential in you since your first day here. You're wound is mended so you may be on your way." he said bluntly while putting the medical supplies away.

Angelus stood and quickly put her robe back on and looked up at Jose who gestured towards the door. They started walking but right as they rounded the corner Angelus glanced back to look at Malik, only to meet his eyes as he was staring directly at her; he quickly averted his eyes and picked up a feather from the table but looked at it oddly, as if he was just looking for a means of distracting himself. She climbed out of the Bureau and stared at nothing in particular, lost in thought until she was jostled out of in by Jose patting her on the head, she furrowed her brow at him "You are as moronic as you are arrogant, Angelus Smaug." Jose said just above a whisper, using her full name for the first time in a long time. She batted his hand away and stepped back a little "What's with the formalities? That's not like you at all.." she said as they both approached the roofs' edge and jumped down onto an awning, then to the ground. "Just... it's nothing. We should get going and finish up whatever you were working on." he said and smiled at her as two townswoman passed them, whispering to each other **"Do you suppose he is from a foreign place?"** said the first woman **"Aye, it sounded rather barbarous for him to speak with a lady so modestly."** the second woman whispered.

-

"Tell me again WHY you two are here?" scoffed a rather irritated Altair. "Al Mualim sent us on top-secret business." retorted Gabrielle, a little too quickly for comfort. Altair raised his eyebrows and threw his hands up to shoulder level "Whatsoever he has sent you here to do, see to it that it does not interfere with what I am doing and we will be able to coexist here peacefully. Do I make myself clear?" Gabrielle and Paul nod and respond with **'Yes Sir!'** in sync and Altair nods at them both individually before leaving without a trace. Gabrielle sighs dreamily with her eyes half-lidded "Isn't he handsome?" she hums and Paul shakes his head "You have serious problems if something like that gets you all excited." "I am _not_ excited! I'm just admiring a manly-man." she grins cheekily and Paul waves at her while walking away "Come find me when you've come to your senses!" She scoffs and followers after him, which soon leads into a playful chase when he runs from her.

-Elsewhere-

Two shadowy figures stood facing each other in a room lit by four candles, all of which were spaced three feet apart on a long rectangular table. "Did you see them?" spoke the elder one "Yes. They are doing well." came the younger "Then we will act soon. Prepare yourself. You ride at dawn." the elder spoke and the younger one flinched "This soon? But the process isn't nearly complete!" The elder scoffed "You truly believe that I care about such trivial things, boy!? I HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN. You ride at dawn." The elder shouted sternly and the younger one nodded stiffly. "As you wish." he said before leaving, the elder licked his thumb and fore-finger before pinching a single one of the four candles' flames, extinguishing it.

-

"Not yet!" shouted Paul as he sat up with a start in a cold sweat. Gabrielle sat up abruptly "Paul what the hell!? It's the middle of the night!" she whispered as Paul held his head in his right hand "I-I'm sorry... I had a rather troubling nightmare." he stuttered out and Gabrielle rested a hand on his shoulder "Hey, it's alright. I'm here for you so you aren't going to get hurt, alright?" she cooed warmly and he shook his head at looked at her with wide eyes "That's what I'm afraid of." he said bluntly "Paul. It was a dream. Nothing more than that. Go back to sleep before we wake Altair up. This Bureau isn't exactly sound-proof and he's only a few feet away..." they both looked over to see Altair still asleep and Paul sighed before laying back down and closing his eyes.

_'I can only pray that you're right Gabrielle. For the quartet's sake.'_ Paul thought as he drifted to sleep. Gabrielle stood and climbed out of the Bureau quietly, she gazed up at the night sky as a pigeon carrying a letter landed next to her. She stooped down and took the letter from it, reading it quickly, she gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth, looking horrified. She scribbled something on the back of the letter; the writing was hap-haphazardly done but still legible. She inserted it into the pigeon's letter carrier and it flew away towards the North, she watched it and whispered to herself _'Maybe you were right.'_ before climbing back down into the Bureau and going back to sleep; though she doubted she'd be able.

-

"What are you doing up this late?" came from Angelus as she lent against the door frame nonchalantly. Malik jumped slightly but soon regained his composure. "Ah well I was- Wait, didn't anyone ever tell you it is rude to enter a room without stating your presence? Or knocking for that matter?" Angelus chuckled "There was no door to knock on and I had supposed you would already be aware of my presence." she spoke while approaching him "My apologies for all of my rude behavior as of late. Will you answer please the question?" Malik rubbed his temples "I am simply trying to deicer this letter Altair sent me. The fools' handwriting is that of a child's!" Angelus smiled and leaned on the counter while lifting her leg onto it "What in gods' name are you doing Sma-" Malik was cut off by Angelus leaping over the peninsula and bumping arms with the older male as she read over his shoulder. "You were not lying when you described his handwriting." she stated while she pulled her hood down, her dark locks falling out all to one side messily. "He's scribbled out so many words it makes it almost unreadable." she ran her finger across the page while trying to make out the words.

Malik switched his glance from peering down at the letter to looking up at the woman standing next to him, he followed her finger down the page with every new line she dragged it across. "I... My apologies Sir but even I can not make sense of this." she looked up at him apologetically, only to meet his gaze teetering a measly few inches from hers. "It is quite alright I'll be able to make sense of it eventually." he glanced down for a moment "You do know I have a name, correct?" he furrowed his brow at her "Yes. Though I must point out that is an odd question." she tilted her head to one side ever so slightly "Then why don't you refer to me by that name? You do not need to refer to me with such formal terms. I'm not of royal decent or anything like that." he smiled for a fraction of a second "Well, you are my superior so I see it as only fitting I refer to you in a proper manner. And I do not believe we are quite on the terms where two co-workers would refer to each other as anything like comrades. Why do you ask?" she said bluntly and he shrugged "It was just a thought. Nothing more." Malik said and paused for a moment before clearing his throat and straightening his back.

She jumped over the counter once again and started to head for the doorway "Angelus," interrupted Malik and she turned to face him "your robe has a stain from your wound. It would probably be in you best interest to get it cleaned before it becomes permanent." He said while blowing out one of the many candles that illuminated the room. She smiled at him and nodded before exiting the room and pressing her back against the wall outside of the room, exhaling and pushing her hair out of her face. _'was that an actual smile, or am I going mad?'_ she thought to herself.  
His jaw tightened as he watched her from outside the Bureau, clutching his hands into fists. _'If only she knew' _Jose thought, before leaping inside acting like his usual, cheerful self.

_to be continued..._


	3. Chapter 3

He rose with a crick in his spine and grogginess urging him to go back to bed, but his awareness of his duties for that day nagged at him greater than his lethargy. He stood and transitioned into a stretch, several of his joints popping in the process. "Harkensen" called Altair, a twinge of irritation in his voice; Paul straightened and faced him "Good morning, Altair. How does the day go?" Paul hid his tired mood well from the older assassin "It has been a rather in perpetuum to yesterday, and every day before then." Altair gave a half-smile, trying to show he was in a good mood "It is always a wonderful thing when mornings do not require much strenuous activity." Paul tries to joke with Altair "Aye, would rather it be a repetitive day than a day where we must go about doing drills the whole morn." the two men chuckle before it gets quiet and a somewhat awkward silence hangs in the air before Altair clears his throat and puts on his usual angry-facade that he does around Gabrielle "Well I'll be off, if you excuse me." he said as he exited the Bureau, leaving Paul with only his thoughts to accompany him now. He sighed and glanced around before resting in the various pillows that lined the floor, closing his eyes as he allowed himself to doze once again.

"I know what you are doing, Harlan." Altair called to the girl who had her back to to him; she stiffened and kept her gaze averted. "why, whatever do you m-" "Save it for Al Mualim, traitor!" Altair spat as he charged towards Gabrielle, only to have her hop to one side before kicking him in the stomach and grabbing his throat firmly with one hand. She glared at the man who had been forced into a kneeling position, glowered up at her with bared teeth. "You know Altair, I was always rather fond of you. It is such a pity that things must end so abruptly for us." she smirked at him before leaning down and kissing him quickly, she leaned back up and looked at him with eyes filled with regret. "You are a traitor, Gabrielle! You will not get away with the crimes you have committed against the brotherhood!" Altair shouted while kicking her legs out from under her, causing her to fall over and be pinned down by the older assassin. She looked up at him wide-eyed for a moment before settling and putting on a straight face "It will not make a difference whether I am alive or not at this point; they already have the information they need. They know everything... so go on, kill me." She said calmly while staring Altair straight in the eyes. "Dammit woman, have you no will to persist? Will you give in so easily!?" he shouted in her face. She furrowed her brow at him "Why should it matter? You said it yourself, I am a traitor. I am lower than filth! What purpose is there if I were to live?"

Altair sighed and looked away from her, his grip on her arms tightening before he stands, dragging her up with him and now holding both her wrists in one hand. She hunches over and looks at him through the hair that has fallen in front of her face, he raises his hand up, but hesitates to bring it down. "You have a purpose. It may only be on that is significant to one other person, but that is a purpose nonetheless." She gave him a questioning look and open her mouth to say something, but was quieted by Altair pressing his own lips to hers, pulling back to look at her just before he knocks her unconscious with a swift strike of his fist. He catches her with both arms and holds her gingerly "...I will not kill you, no matter who orders it." he mumbles before leaping off the rooftop and onto a horse, galloping out of the city and back towards the base where only Al Mualim will be able to decide what to do with Gabrielle the Honest.

* * *

"Nice work, Poppet. Your work today will surely deliver us victory." Malik smirked at a dirt-covered Angelus, abstaining from laughing at her as best he could. "Your praise makes it all worth-while. Remind me to survey the perimeter more carefully next time so that I do not land in the sand and gravel when I run." she chimed in her most polite tone possible, hiding her obvious embarrassment. Jose chuckled and wiped a tear from his eye and Angelus turned to glare at him before smacking his arm "F-forgive me, Ang. It was all so comical. The image of you falling into that dirt pile will haunt my memory for years to come." her cheeks flushed pink and she smacked him once again but harder. Malik snickered a bit but quickly played it off as him just coughing; Angelus sighed and left the room in a huff, muttering to herself about vengeance. Malik and Jose looked at each other and Malik spoke up "So, pray tell how long you have fancied her?" Jose stuttered and flushed "W-what? Me? Fancy? Ludicrous! Her and I have known each other since childhood I view her as nothing more than a sister!" Malik smirks at him "It is quite alright if you do fancy her there is no shame in it; and I would not blame you. She may be stubborn and can easily irritate someone, but her redeeming qualities outweigh every rude comment or careless behavior. In fact, I have found myself seeing her as more of an equal as of late rather than a low-ranked, inattentive assassin without a care in her skull." Malik gets a serious expression once her notices Jose's wide eyes

"Fear not, Moran, I have no intention of stealing her away from you. However if you are going to tell her what your feelings towards her are, I suggest you act quickly. I may only be a quinquennial older than her, but my wisdom is like no other; I see it in her eyes and her smile, you must tell her, Jose, before she tells me." Malik sighs, averting his gaze from the Peruvian boy standing in front of him "Malik I... I had no idea. Look if you want her I can step away.. after all, she deserves a man, not a coward like me." Malik slams his hand on the counter "Moran, I will not tolerate that type of talk. You are worthy of her. Believe me you are. She is simply too naive to realize how much you truly care for her! So please, for the sake of me and my fiancé, tell her how your heart aches for her." Jose pause for a moment before nodding and heading out of the Bureau, taking deep breaths. He looks up to see Angelus standing on the rooftops' edge, now clean and her dampened hair flowing ever so softly in the light breeze that blew throughout Jerusalem. She turned and smiled at him warmly, he reciprocated the smile as her walked up to stand next to her, watching the setting sun.

She opened her mouth to say something, but Jose held up a finger to signal for her not to. "Angelus, I need to tell you something very, very important. But not here and not right this moment. Tomorrow morning, meet me atop the highest eagle tower that is due north from here; do not speak to me at any point before dawn." she gave him a confused look, but nodded firmly in a silent agreement. Jose nodded back and leaped to the next rooftop, continuing on until he was out of sight. "Jose... forgive me." she said with her eyes half-lidded and hopping off the roof, pulling her hood over her head and sticking to alleys until she was out of the city; heading back to the base as she was instructed to do by Al Mualim.

* * *

Two shadowy figures rode quietly in the depths of the night. Both silently headed towards the direction where they heard another rider nearing them but at a faster pace; the two figures split and hid behind stones and trees on opposite sides of the path, waiting mutely as the lone rider's trots to come before them. With each moment that passed the steps got clearer along with the occasional clank of the rider's weaponry. The two figures looked towards and nodded at each other simultaneously as they readied their blades.  
_thump, thump, thump, thuMP, tHUMP, THUMP_  
And within a matter of moments, the rider had tumbled off her horse and onto the ground, now covered in dirt and scrapes "What on earth-" she shouted as she turned onto her back to look at her assailants, only to be met with a blade staring down the center of her throat. The two figures said nothing but the one holding the blade now gripped it with two hands, before lifting up and thrusting it down. A loud screech filled the air for a moment before it was cut short.

* * *

It was after noon and Jose walked slowly from one roof to another, heading back to the Bureau expecting Malik to tell him she had left for a mission or something to that extent.  
But that was not the case.  
The second he hit the floor, a concerned looking Malik stepped out and stared at him. "Moran, surely you have seen Smaug around the city, correct?" Jose shook his head "I've been atop the highest tower since dawn waiting for her to join me there, but sadly she did not. Is there a reason for your concerned tone of speaking?" Malik looked down and back up with rue filling his eyes "She left at yesterday's evening to report back to Masyaf and should have been there hours ago. I have received word that her steed did return to Masyaf, but the only trace they were able to find of its rider was a single piece of white cloth on a bloodstained saddle; they sent out a party for her and were successful in their finding of her body thought they were unsure if it was her or not, and all I am able to do now is offer you my sympathies as you have confirmed that the theory of her still being in Jerusalem is false." Jose covered his mouth with his hand and looked towards the ground before his shoulders begun to shake and he let out a squeak-like noise. Malik grasped Jose's shoulder firmly for a moment in an attempt to comfort him, staying in a respectful silence.

* * *

~Maysaf~

"Thank you, Altair. You have done well in bringing this renegade to our attention. Though I must ask, why bring her before us instead of simply finishing the job on your own?" Altair sighed "For the reason that the last time I trusted my instincts, it ended with the loss of all my weaponry and my ranking in the brotherhood." Al Mualim looked unimpressed "It is pleasant to see you have learned by your mistakes. The question remains what to do with this stool pigeon... double-crosser. Traitor!" He yelled at Gabrielle, who was being held by two large male assassins. "Do what you will. You will not b-" "SILENCE FINK!" Al Mualim nearly screamed at her. "Altair. Since you are the one who brought this agent provocateur to my attention why don't you help us decide what to do with this 'snake in the grass' of sorts?"Al Mualim questioned and Altair responded without thinking "What do others usually do when a snake is found on their property?"  
"Why, they behead them." Al Mualim smirked


	4. Chapter 4

"Stop Jose!" shouted Malik as he reached his hand out to the younger male, but to no avail Jose sprinted away; tears mixed with determination in his eyes. It was only a few moments after Jose had heard the news of Angelus's death, but he did not believe a word of it. _'Angelus can't die... she just can't be gone.. not now!'_ Jose thought as he ran past the shouting guards and out of Jerusalem, without bothering to grab his own horse. He climbed up a steep incline and once at the top, began a quick yet steady tip-toe across a slim piece of land at the top. He kept his chin up and only glanced down when he was unsure of a step; not wanting to look down at the forty foot drop as much as he could.

Once at the edge, he climbed down twenty feet to a ledge and leaped off, landing in a lake with a loud splash and several small fish clearing out as he was submerged, only to pop out a few seconds later; a blank expression on his face as he sighed, looking towards the afternoon sky. He sighed and let the gentle currents in the lake drift him to shore before he rose out of the water and started walking down the dirt pathways that led to each city. He slowed his pace gradually and leaned against a cliff, gritting his teeth before punching the cliff side and letting out a pained wail. Once he quieted, he heard a rumbling coming from the top of the mountain passes he stood between; just as he glanced up to see rocks tumbling towards him at a rapid pace, he head an unfamiliar voice shout something

before Jose blacked out.

* * *

Paul wandered around the city, unsure what to do with himself after hearing the news about Gabriel being brought back to Maysaf by Altair without warning and without explanation. He  
wandered through various alleyways, hands clutched into fists and an bewildered look played on his features. He sigh and closed his eyes while he kept walking, inky to be smacked into something and knocked onto his back; he opened his eyes to see a red haired girl with brown eyes and a spray of freckles decorating her face sitting directly in front of him, rubbing her head and mumbling to herself. Paul stands and offers his hand to her in a gentlemanly fashion "need some help, milady?" the girl opens her eyes to look at him, before gasping and scrambling to stand; kicking up some dust and sand from the street and seemingly concealing something within her clothing... which was strangely even more tattered and dirty than the clothes of any other villages. "A-A-Anna uhm.. Anna didn't mean to do.. A-Anna so s-sorry!" she stuttered out in a weak, high-pitched voice. Paul hadn't noticed before, but she was rather young and seemed oddly thin. "It is not a problem at all ma'am. If you would not mind my asking, where were you going in such a rush that you did not see me walking in this alley?" he crouched down to be at eye level with the girl.

"W-wait a moment, you not going t'rrest Anna?" she seemed surprised. Paul furrowed his brow, having trouble understanding the girl's speak impairment. "Arrest? Why would I do that? You have done nothing illegal to my knowledge and you do not seem to be of any threat to the city's well being. Besides, I do not have the authority to warren the arrest of anyone." he smiled gently "b-but you're of bad people... th'ones in white who hurt Anna." she articulated just above a whisper. Paul looked at the girl in sympathy "I am not with the Templar, fair maiden. I am a rogue fighter helping people like you be protected from the Templar and their constant abuse of power." he held out his hand to the girl "I am Paul and I will protect you, if you will only do me to honor of following me" the young girl gave him a skeptical look and toke a wary step back "no no.. you only want hurt Anna. But Anna know better. Anna may be outcast but she smart. Anna have sword and will kill men who try hurt Anna ever again!" she yelled at him before pushing out and busted-up, rusting short sword from an unknown place in her robes. Paul pushed the blade aside with the back of his fingers.

"I am assuming your name is Anna, correct?" the young girl sneers at Paul, but nods. "Anna, I swear on my life and oath as an assassin that I want nothing more than to help you. I have no intention of hurting or killing you." Paul looked at Anna sincerely "How I know you not going to deceive Anna?" Anna glared at Paul; he toke the end of her blade and placed it by his throat "If for whatever reason you feel as if I am betraying you, I will allow you to cut me down. Right then and right there; no questions asked." Anna's eyes grew wide and she put her sword away, pulling out a small loaf of bread from the back of her robes and splitting it in half, before handing Paul the smaller half "Anna is trusting man. Man betray Anna and he is dead. This significant to our union." Paul shakes his head at her before picking her up and climbing onto a rooftop "You keep your bread. You looked famished." he smiled at the happy looked in her eyes as she ravenously began to eat the bread while Paul carried her from rooftop to rooftop, on his way to the bureau

* * *

She looked at her palms as her jaw tightened; she refused to look up at Altair. "Gabrielle, Al Mualim has agreed to let you off with a banishment if you will just stop withholding the secrets you know of the enemy. You life, your friends, and freedom will all be yours once again if you would just cooperate." Altair tried to reason with her, but she would not budge. "What purpose is there to life if I am never to see my family again? Where would I go? What would I do for pay? I have no one to love me neither any relatives that I am aware of who I may stay with. There is no purpose to my existence; you said it yourself that I should be killed." Gabrielle spoke in monotone without moving from her seat position in her cell, her eyes had a sorrowful look in them as she stared at the cell walls. Altair rubbed his temples and huffed, trying to keep his thoughts collected.

"You do have a point... but you could not be more wrong about this. As I can plainly tell, you have no resolve." he began to walk towards the stairs that led to above ground, his footsteps echoing lightly before he stopped for a moment "Know this Gabrielle; I always saw you as an inspiration. Even before I had been demoted to a novice.." he glanced at her before turning his back to her sharply and marching upstairs, unaware of the tears that formed in her eyes concurrently building up in her ducts as with each step that he toke away from her until they were silenced; only then did she allow the tears to fall.

Altair looked towards two assassin's who awaited him outside the stairwell that led to dungeon, Altair shook his head and one of the two other assassin's looked to another assassin standing on a nearby balcony and showed them a thumbs-down. The assassin on the balcony walked away and disappeared into the shadows after a moment as Altair left the two assassin's to themselves, mournful regret hanging in Altair's eyes as he walked away.

* * *

"Hey mister! Wake up!" came a boy's voice that awoke Jose from a murky haze, his vision slowly getting clearer by the second. "You almost got killed back there. Gotta be careful in those mountain passes; they'll drop rocks on ya in the blink of an eye!" Jose groaned as he attempted to sit up, only to be met with a dull pain that forced him to lie down once again. "Careful there mister, I saved you from bein' dead but a couple of them rocks did nick ya here and there." Jose looked up to see a boy who appeared to be few years younger than him, with dark brown hair and the eyes to match; his skin was ghostly white without a flaw to be noted on it. "Name's Sabastian and I'll be yer caretaker until yer leg patches up." he gestured towards Jose's left leg, which was wrapped tightly in clothes that were being used as makeshift bandages.

Jose smiled gratefully at the boy "Thank you Sabastian.. Oh, where are my manners- my name is.. it is.. huh?" Jose helled his head in his palm and he cursed under his breath "..I can't seem to remember... where are we again?"


	5. Chapter 5

"So, you're saying you think I may have lost my memories?" Jose furrowed his brow at the younger male walking beside him "It seems that way to me. Ya can't remember yer name or where ya hail from, that sounds like amnesia if I've ever heard of it!" Sabastian sighed "Do ya even remember yer friends? Er… ya do have friends, right?" Jose chuckled "Of Course I remember my friends; I have two very good friends! Their names were Paul and Gabrielle and we used to call ourselves 'the idiotic quartet'." Sabastian raised an eyebrow at Jose "I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed, but ain't a quartet a group of four folks an' not three?" Jose blinked a few times before looking up at the trees in thought "Hm. You're right… I can't remember, _was_ there another person?" Jose sighed as he crossed his arms and lowered his head back into normal position.

Sabastian, noticing his distress, decided to try and change the subject. "We ain't far from my village now! Once we get there, I'll introduce ya to my ma and pa and we'll suit you with our finest horse, then yer on yer way to that Maysaf place. Sure wish I could go with ya, but my place is on the ranch with my folks" he smiled apologetically as Jose shook his head "You've already done so much for me as it stands. You basically saved my life and now you're helping me without even knowing who I am; I cannot begin to thank you enough" Sabastian flushed and rubbed the back of his head "Aw shucks, ya flatter me mister!" Jose smiled back at him before looking ahead, only to have his pupils dilate "…Sabastian? Is that smoke supposed to be there?" Sabastian froze and looked ahead, gasping he steps back a bit "What is tarnation…? What're ya just standin' there for!? Get a move on!" and with that, the pair took off in a forward sprint.

* * *

With every gallop of the stead they rode on came another whip of her long red tresses against her back as she held onto Paul's waist tightly. The second she had been taken back to the Bureau, the elder assassin inside told Paul some information which she could not keep up with at the speed they were talking at and before she knew it Paul had dragged her onto a horse and starting riding like the wind. "Where we going comrade?" she inquired "To Maysaf; a friend of mine is going to be killed if I don't act now to try and save her!" Paul shouted against the wind, hoping his voice would carry enough to be heard easily by the young woman seated behind him. Anna looked down "Another woman…?" She muttered under her breath.

Paul sped up when he heard shouts and saw steel glistening in the light, signaling that these people were not ones for negotiating. As the shouts quieted until they were silenced, Paul slowed the horse; he passed through a rock formation with trees on either side of the path, but stopped abruptly when he noticed what lay on the ground before him. "What in God's name…?" he was truly baffled at what he saw: two corpses lay on the ground, both with their throats slit and a horse with its front legs broken and dried blood decorating the slits in its legs. Dying flowers lay there arranged in the number '4' atop the horses' carcass, which seems to have already started to be picked apart by rats. Even as a corpse, Paul would recognize that horse anywhere. "That's… Angelus' stallion! Are those bandits? What in blazes…" Paul was alerted out of his bafflement by the sound of Anna gagging "This is no good… Anna does not feel well." Paul sighed and stared the arrangement of flowers before signaling for his horse to begin galloping once again.

_'It can't be… is Angelus alive?'_ Paul thought, but felt dumb to even think that was a possibility and sped away: glancing back just in time to notice a single pair of footprints in the dirt leading the same way he was headed.

* * *

-Elsewhere-

An elderly man stands alone in a dark room that is only illuminated by the light of three candles, a forth of which has been extinguished. He grins to himself before leaning down and blowing out a second candle and leaving the room; two half-burnt out candles still flickering wildly.

* * *

Her gaze wandered the stone walls of here cell blankly while she shivered lightly. It was chilly and dark in this underground dungeon, not to mention the eerie silence of her isolation since she was the only one being kept in this place at this time. She stand and paced around, her shoeless feet making gentle pats against the mix of dirt and withering stones that were scattered in a makeshift floor. She crossed her arms to try and retain heat, but to no avail. _'It shouldn't be long now… they'll come and take me away to the gallows for my execution'_ she thought to herself while pacing in a circle, small pebbles being kicked around and others sticking to her skin for short periods until they fall off just purely from her movements. It was originally planned that she was going to be beheaded, but Al Mualim changed his mind saying that he 'wanted to see this traitor squirm while taking her final breath'… how violent.

* * *

"Ma! Pa!" Sabastian shouted into the inferno that was quickly making its way through his village. Jose stayed close and struggled to see through flames and frenzy villages running about; Sabastian kept yelling out for his parents, but to no avail. He reached out to stop Sabastian before he ran into the blaze of a nearby burning cottage, having no luck in stopping the young man Jose decided to tail him into the fires.

What he saw before him was a gruesome sight.

The entire wooden structure was filled with smoke and flame that obstructed any and all vision. Sabastian wasn't too far off, but he stood there and stared into the hell-like abyss of flames; Jose grabbed onto his arm in an attempt to pull him away, only to have his grip broken by Sabastian jerking his way out of it. "Are ya crazy!? I gotta save ma! Look she's still kicking!" Sabastian points into the flames where a somewhat large looking woman lies on the ground, her hair singed and clothing torn slightly along with her skin looking rather... melted. Jose turns away while cupping his mouth, feeling ill but all the same he knows this: he has to get Sabastian out of there before the building collapses. In a flash of limbs and speed, Jose picked Sabastian up by his waist and rushed out of the cottage with Sabastian kicking and screaming for him to release him; once outside, Jose looks back just in time to see the home cave in, bits or charred wood and ashes flying up at the beams and roof tumble down. The sound of a single young man screaming and crying at the top of his lungs while witnessing his everything crumble before his very eyes could be heard above all the other villagers' wails.

* * *

As soon as he reached the familiar wooden barrier of Maysaf, Paul leapt off his stallion and picked Anna off of it, gingerly placing her on his back before taking off in a full sprint through the city towards the base. He couldn't let them just kill one of his best friends without him at _least_ putting his two cents into the matter at hand; leaping over bush and branch alike, he continued up the steep incline just as the bells that chimed every hour rung signifying that it was now noon. _'Not yet, dammit!'_ Paul thought to himself as he set Anna down outside the base "Anna, stay here and do not leave this spot until I come to get you. This is going to be dangerous" he said frantically without breath and Anna nodded obediently.

Paul sprinted inside and up the steps and through several halls inside until he reached the secretive area where the gallows among other execution instruments are kept in the headquarters. He stopped when two assassin's jumped in front of and pointed their blades at him; he looked ahead to see the small frame of a woman climbing onto the gallows and a rope being placed around her neck. He attempted to fight his way through the crowd but to no avail. He felt panicked as her heard the muffled sound of a man reading out Gabrielle's crimes and reasons for her execution aloud as man wearing a dark mask around his head held a lever, ready to pull at any given moment.

Paul began to shout, "She is innocent! Let her go! Let her go! Damn you all to hell!" his heart pounded against his ribs wildly as he struggled to get through the crowd once more, but still no luck. _'This cannot be happening… it can't! Someone, anyone… please save her!'_ Paul felt helpless and began to hyperventilate, two beefy men held his arms to keep him a bay as he thrashed about violently. He shook his head and shouted more, only to be ignored; as the man reading Gabrielle's convictions rolled up the paper he had been reading off of, he nodded towards the executioner who nodded back and now grasped the lever with both hands; Paul could not bear to watch this so he hung his head as small tears fell from his eyes and hit the ground in tiny splashes of despair.

\- _snap_ -

The crowd erupted into shouts and the sounds of metal hitting metal ricocheted through the air. Paul felt the two men release him roughly, but then a hand hoist him up only to have someone whisper in his ear "Let's get out of here before the smoke bomb subsides." Paul opened his bloodshot, tear-filled eyes to see a cloaked figure standing before him with a woman standing beside them; black smoke filled the air and the two men that had just been holding Paul back were now on the ground, unconscious, possibly dead. "Hurry!" the cloaked figure urged him to stand, which he did cautiously. The woman grabbed onto Paul's hand and began rushing downstairs with the cloaked figure picking up the back end, fighting off a few assassins who had started to follow them trio.

Once outside, Paul looked at the woman who had been grasping his hand the whole while they were running… he'd know those black ringlets anywhere. "Gabrielle!?" he sputtered and she held a finger to her lips. "We'll talk later. Let's get out of here!" Outside the entrance to the base, Paul grabbed onto Anna and the now four people rushed down the incline as bells chimed wildly, signaling for all assassins in the area to be on guard. As they ran, they heard shouts and stones were thrown at them; the mysterious cloaked one urged the group on until they were well outside the city and they kept pressing onward until they reached a small town about a mile away from Maysaf and the cloaked figure led them into a cottage and slammed the door shut, locking it with a series of locks then sliding down to the floor, panting heavily with their back pressed against the door.

"Thank you for rescuing us sir but… who the hell are you?" Paul said between pants while hunching over slightly. The cloaked figure smirked and lowered their hood slowly "Really Paul? I thought we were friends…" once the hood was lowered, Paul's jaw dropped and Gabrielle covered her mouth, both wide-eyed. "A-Angelus!?" they shouted as their old friend stood and saluted them. "Can't kill me off that easily; I'm a skilled assassin for god's sake." She tittered out before bracing herself against the door "Though, we all have the capability of getting injured… right?" she smiled weakly before slumping to the floor limply, her vision fading a bit but staying clear enough to see her friends reaching out to her.

_to be continued…_


	6. Chapter 6

Grasping onto the older individual's shirt whilst being carried on horseback away from the scorched remains of everything he'd formed his life around, the young man cried silently, letting out shaky, sporadic breaths in place of the words he could not find. The older male who he clung to had not said a word since dragging Sabastian away from the blaze of his life being taken from him in one fell swoop; Jose had found out from a somewhat calm villager that bandits had pillaged the rural town and set it ablaze as a way of marking their territory. The one horse who had survived, or maybe it was the only who had stuck around long enough, was Sabastian's steed Pablo, a spotted saddle horse who ran to Sabastian's side seemingly out of the blue while Jose was doing his best to console the younger being.

Jose let out a long exhale through his nose as they rode on mournfully, a young boy clinging to all what little that he has left, and an amnesia stricken man trying to piece together his shattered memories.

* * *

A groan escaped her lips as her eyes opened once more, soon being met with a surprised, yet relieved gasp of a woman in the background. As her eyelids fluttered a few times, concealing and revealing her grey-blue orbs as the setting sun shines into the groggy haze of the as well, she finally regained her vision and was instantly greeted by the beaming smile of her dearest friend, Gabrielle. "Morning..." She mumbled out as Gabrielle scoffed "'Morning'? You've been unconscious for nearly three days!" Gabrielle looked as if she was about to cry, from relief, worriedness, or a mixture of both. "T-Three days…? Huh. That's a new record" Angelus yawned and began to sit up, only to be met with a dull, throbbing pain that vibrated down her spine, causing her to lay back down.

"Don't try to move too much, Anna did some weird medical stuff to your banged up leg and numbed it. You've been walking around with a fracture for at least a week now." Paul called over from the kitchen, where he was performing various types of potato genocide; peeling, cutting, crushing, tossing, mincing, cubing, boiling, the list goes on… (SHOUT OUT TO POTATOLORD) He was preparing dinner; Angelus looked around, still unsure what to make of everything. "Quite an entrance, I must say I wasn't aware one could scale a mountain, much less fight with an injury on such a vital part of one's body. I can't say I'm surprised, honestly." Paul smirked at Angelus over his shoulder, all the while peeling more potatoes. "Paul, you've prepared enough potatoes to feed another twelve people." Gabrielle pointed out and Paul stopped in his tracks, seemingly embarrassed to have been so distracted to have not noticed this.

"Speaking of other people…" Gabrielle began "…any idea where Jose could be? I haven't seen him since he went off to Jerusalem." Angelus now sat up with full strength, instantly regretting it and letting out a yelp as pain shoots through her body, she propped herself up as the pain began to subside. "Jose… h-he's… I last saw him in Jerusalem… Before I left a-and got apprehended by those two bastards!" Angelus said as if quoting a scripted passage. Her gaze shifted to the window, looking out of it with regret hanging in her irises. "He… wanted to tell me something. But I left before he got the chance to tell me… It seemed important and I just… left." Her hands balled into fists as she looked down, her eyes filled with an anger that was directed towards her. The other's remained silent; save for the gentle clacking of cook ware against pot's inner edges as Paul finished preparing the meal.

* * *

Night fell and the two rode onwards, Sabastian exhausted himself from crying and fell asleep against Jose's chest, who remained vigilant and vowed to stay awake through the night and rest only when they had reached Maysaf, whenever that would happen. Jose sighed, his exterior seemed distant and contained, but the interior of his mind raced with thoughts, familiar yet foreign images scattered about aimlessly, as if trying to piece themselves together and figure out where they belonged among the chaos. Jose sighed quietly as a small light in the distance drew closer with every hour that passed, 'a city', he thought; he was unsure which, but found himself drawn to it nonetheless, and pressed on, ignoring the cold night air and the small mutters that escaped Sabastian's lips as he slept.

* * *

Glass shattered on the floor as the elderly man dropped his wine glass, which he had just been drinking merrily a moment ago. "REPEAT THAT IF YOU DARE." He shouted at the younger man who knelt before him. "T-The subjects sir, t-they live!" the young one flinched, expecting to be beaten for this slip up. "They ALL live!? That's impossible! You sent your most skilled huntsmen to execute Smaug and Harlan was to be executed by her own kind! What of the rocks that were set to crush Moran!?" The elder panted in fury "Foiled sir! An unknown being swept in and rescued Moran from his fate… It is still unclear as to if he lives or not." the elder delivered a cold, leathery slap to the young one's head, causing him to topple onto his side as the elder spat on the ground in front of him. "I should have left you on the street to become rat food, you pathetic child! Be gone from my sight…" the elder turned his back as the younger man stood and exited, kicking shards of glass gently as he went.

Once outside the dark chamber, the young man composed himself, holding back the solemn tears of a neglected child all the while. He passed by a group of guards, who all saluted and said 'Captain Anthony, Sir!' in unison, as if they were following a script. He straightened his jacket and nodded at them as he passed, combing his dark hair back as a distraction from the stress he was under, before heading into his room and shutting the door tightly, then mumbling to himself while opening a locket he wore around his neck.

"I just could not bear to see you dead, my love. If only my feelings were requited." His jaw tightens as he peers down at the small frame containing the picture of a ringlet-ted haired girl.

_To be continued…_


	7. Chapter 7

"So… you came from Russia?" Inquired Gabrielle while she listened intently to Anna's story "Yes. I come from very poor family. My parents were very busy all time and could not teach Anna. Anna learn to write and speak when she ten years of age. Anna still not very good with the speaking, but she try her best. Parents leave Anna on street when they see Anna use this hand when writing…" Anna held up her left hand "…this is devil's hand, papa said. Same with Anna's devil hair. They say I am child of Lucifer and God does not love Anna… I was taken by bad men when I was fourteen years of age and taken here, country of Italy. I live on streets still and steal when hungry until Mister Paul find me and take me with him." She looked towards Paul with a warm, grateful smile. "If not for Mister Paul, Anna would be dead right this moment. Guards were chasing Anna when she met Mister Paul, Anna had stolen bread and they see Anna and they shout at Anna." Gabrielle gave Anna the most pitying look possible "Oh my God… Anna, that is terrible. Your parents were wrong to have done that to you, who in their right mind would throw their child on the streets just because of her appearance and the way she writes!?"

Anna shook her head slowly "It is alright. In Anna's head, they are forgiven."

* * *

"I will never forgive 'em" flowed coldly from Sabastian's lips as his hands balled into fists; a new, fiery rage had been growing in him ever since his life had been taken away so cruelly and so quickly. He hadn't said a word for several hours; something was brewing in him that he had never felt before in his life. Jose remained silent, unsure what to, or if he even should, add anything. They had rode throughout the night, Jose hadn't slept or let his guard down for even one moment, not in the dead of night, not in the quiet village he passed through, not even as the sun rose marking the next morning's birth. Yes, obviously he was exhausted, but he could not stop now.

He was so close to reaching that city that had whispered sweet nothings to him the previous evening. It kept calling his name, stronger, louder, with every second that passed and he got closer, the more the city called to him. As if on cue, the horse named Pablo on which the two rode, sped up down the gentle incline towards the city, the pair on horseback drew closer towards the gates, as the tall wooden barrier came into sight, so did a stable outside the gates with two horses come into view.

"Maysaf…" Slipped from Jose's lips just as the sun's sparkling rays shined over the wooden barrier, illuminating the pair as they looked on with awe, then entered the city to a fate which Jose had long forgotten would be awaiting him.((A/N: read the last paragraph in chapter one for a clue!))

* * *

His dark, silky hair felt like ice against his neck with every step he took. His shadowy brown eyes nearly looked black in the morning's light that illuminated the staircase he trotted up. With each new step his took, his bulky, masculine frame looked even more intimidated. He knew what was awaiting him, but that did not make it any less terrifying. Anthony gazed at the top of the staircase that was inching towards him, closer by the second, this same staircase he had marched up and down nearly every day of his life since his father, an elderly man by the name of Ghalib Rabmag, who Anthony had become accustomed to referring to him as 'sir' after years of it being beaten into him.

Anthony was nothing like his father, he was gentler and wanted to work towards the common good, like his mother did; she was a timid woman of short stature who always held her tongue, but confided in Anthony whenever his father had taken something too far- which was a frequent occurrence. Her name was Pari, a Persian name that meant 'fairy', and her high pitched voice definitely befitted a fairy along with her swift, graceful movements and the elegant features that Anthony had inherited. Anthony loved his mother more than anything, but her health had been failing recently and Anthony feared the worst.

As the highest step came into contact with his shoe, he took a breath and headed up the second flight of stairs that led to his father's dark office. Lit with four evenly spaced candles on a rectangular stage that acted like puppets with the way their flames danced carelessly.

* * *

She watched as he rode by, unknowingly passing a cottage containing all of his best friends and everything safe. The temptation to call out and ask him to stay with them instead of going back to Maysaf was strong, but her heart told her she had already done enough to hurt him; she couldn't bear the thought of facing him again. Even though her comrades had instructed her not to get out of bed for another couple of days, she simply could not stay in the same spot for too long; she just loved adventure and couldn't sit still for the life of her.

It was early for her, she was not one to rise and see the sun wake up with her, but it was almost as if a voice was calling to her as she slept, like a sign. _'That's preposterous.'_ she thought, shaking her head all the while and sneaking off to lay back down before anyone else had the chance to wake up and catch her in the act of disobeying her 'doctor's orders'. She wondered how Jose was doing, if he was still mad at her for leaving so suddenly… for not saying goodbye; tucking herself back in and closing her eyes did not distract her from the soul-sucking guilt she felt deep inside.

* * *

"Jose Moran," began Al Mualim "You are hereby on probation for abandoning the brotherhood to seek out your little friend AND dragging two other associates with you. Hand in your weaponry, your badge, and get out of my sight." He said sternly to a still very confused Jose. The Peruvian boy with a jumbled mind did as the man said, all with a furrowed brow and one thing on his mind.

'Who the hell is he talking about? There was only ever the three of us…' he wondered as he walked outside and back to his horse where Sabastian waited patiently for him to return with news of what he had planned for next. "I need to go back to Jerusalem. I don't know why or how, but I went there before and was searching for someone who I've long forgotten…"

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	8. Chapter 8

That was the last straw; no more could he stand this treatment by the man he was ashamed to call a father. Years of being abused, of always living in fear of what he would do if he even stepped a little out of line, of seeing his elderly mother distraught and sobbing her eyes out every time Anthony smiled at her despite the bruises his father left… no more. His jaw tightened as he trotted down the staircase, blood was dripping from his chin that trailed from a slit that went through his eyebrow down to his upper cheekbone. His 'father' had cut him for asking why he hated the assassins so brutally, to which he was called an imbecile and received the slit that now decorated his left eye.

He made his way to his room, blotting the blood away and doing as much as he could to stop the bleeding; luckily, the cut had not damaged the eye or its lids, so he would experience no vision loss for the time being. After performing a small amount of first-aid on the cut, he began packing his bags with all the essentials he would need for a solo journey. He had to leave and find help, allies, people who would understand his plight and stick by him when he faced his 'father' in what would be his final battle; Anthony was going to kill his 'father', and he would need at least six fighters to help him.

Once his necessaries were all accounted for, he slipped out of the window, and mounted a horse, flipping up a hooded cloak he had grabbed before leaving and rode off without a word, and without notice. He knew exactly who he needed to ask to help him… hopefully, they would comply.

* * *

Gabrielle mulled about the small village they were staying in, checking the tiny marketplace for any fresh produce, supplies, and any other necessities that would help them to get by while they waited for suspicions to die down a bit in Masyaf and their friend to recover enough to be moved safely, which would probably only take another week, considering that Angelus heals quickly. Carrying her basket, she made her way back to the cottage just as the sound of a horse begin growing louder, she looked over just in time to see a saddle horse coming to a screeching halt before her, causing her basket to be dropped as she stumbled backwards in her surprise.

With a yelp she shielded her face, sincerely hoping that the horse would not harm her; the rider hoped off and helped Gabrielle to her feet "M-My deepest apologies ma'am I did not notice you until it was almost too la-" he stopped once he looked into her eyes, his chocolatey ones growing wider by the second. "Oh no, it's quite alright really. I have had worse encounters…" she laughed it off before realizing who was standing in front of her, and with a squeal-like noise, her arms wrapped around his shoulders as her eyes welled up with joy "Oh my god I thought you were dead! We were all so worried about you, you bubbling idiot! Don't you EVER scare us like that again Jose!" his arms wrapped around her waist as he felt his own eyes begin to well up "Just as I worried for your safety too… I was just heading to Jerusalem to continue searching for you both… Is Paul here?" "Yes! He's inside this cottage right here along with Angelus and Anna! Oh! You probably don't know who she is… I will explain later though…! Who's your friend?" she gestured towards Sabastian, who stood beside Pablo (the horse), stroking his mane gently.

"Name's Sabastian Reynolds, at your service miss." He smiled while bowing his head, the way his parents always taught him to address a lady properly. Gabrielle smiled sweetly, he dark eyes lighting up with that warm kindness they always held. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance sir; I'm Gabrielle Harlan, Jose and I have known each other since we were kids along with our two other friends who await us inside." Jose raised an eyebrow at her but shrugged it off, assuming she made a simple mistake that he did not want to embarrass her by pointing out. After a moment of a somewhat awkward silence, she cleared her throat and gestured towards the cottage. "We shouldn't keep them waiting much longer; Jose, Sabastian, I invite you to join me inside with the others." Both of the men smiled and followed suit as she stepped inside, Sabastian tying Pablo up outside the house close to a nearby hay bale.

Gabrielle set her basket down on the dining table and greeted Paul, who stood in the kitchen, cooking had somehow become a hobby for him. "Welcome back Gabri-" his sentence was cut short once his gaze fell on the two men who entered with her. "I was not made aware that we would be having guests here… unless there is something you're not letting me in on." Paul muttered the last bit suspiciously to which Gabrielle allowed herself to smile again as she held a hand in front of the two men who towered over her small form. "Paul, this is Sabastian, a friend of Jose's." Paul smirked at his friend "Glad to see you're not dead. Where have you been hiding from us anyway?" Jose grinned widely as a laugh escaped him "I missed you too, Paul." The two men clasped hands and embraced briefly, as the broke apart, Paul called over to the other end of the building "Angelus! Get your ass up, we've got company!"

Jose, finally, had to ask. "Um… guys?" his voice came up more sheepishly than he'd anticipated, just as Angelus came into the room leaning on Anna, who was helping her limp in. "W-Who is Angelus?" Jose said honestly, locking eyes with a now distraught looking, injured woman who had been long forgotten by the first person she ever called 'friend'.


	9. Chapter 9: Special chapter!

_11 years ago…_

_"Angelus! Wait up!" called the young boy, chasing after his friend "If you don't start running faster, you'll miss out!" the bright eyed young girl called back, being chased by her friend. The two children giggling all the while running through the streets of town without a care in the world. The giggles died down as the 11 year old girl looked on with horror at the door to their villa, which normally had guards standing out front, now was ajar and a deafening silence hung in the air. Her friend caught up to her, panting from the running "Angelus… you're t-" he was quieted upon noticing the open door; his tiny hand was clutched by an equally small, yet paler hand as he was led inside the villa._

_Seven people lay on the floor; furniture dirt, and books strewn everywhere as if a storm had just passed through. A familiar looking woman with caramel colored skin lay by their feet "They must have all fell asleep while we were gone. Silly sleepy adults!" chimed the innocent Jose as he knelt down and shook the caramel woman's shoulders "It's time to get up now mama!" his smiled quickly faded when his eyes fell on a horizontal slit in his mother's neck, a mixture of dried and fresh blood decorated the gruesome sight. His eyes grew as he toppled backwards, screaming at the top of his lungs and tears now running down his cheeks. His friend dropped to her knees and held him tightly, her own cheek staining from tears. The two stayed this was for quite a while until Angelus finally had the strength to pull him out of the building, carrying the boy on her back she took to the streets; she was headed to Jose's aunts home, thinking if there was anyone who would take them in now, it would be her. _

_That evening no one in the home of Jose's aunt, Rosa Torres, had a thing to say to the two children huddled in their room, silence hung in the air as the little boy who'd just lost parents, clung to his only friend as he slept, exhausted from crying so much. Angelus held him protectively; she too, was tired from the emotional exertion, but something about this horrific ordeal was hanging in her thoughts that would not calm themselves for the life of her. A single question: "Who would do such a thing?" This one phrase kept her awake until the stars shone brightly that evening in a moonless night sky. _

_The daughter of a prime minister and the son of a duke held onto each other tightly for the next five years, in that time Jose had to learn to each and speak normally again. Without his mother's wisdom and his father's guidance in his life, Jose did not know what to do with himself. He was in luck, since his dearest and only friend Angelus was willing to help him along; yes, it too took her time to function normally after that trauma, but seeing Jose scream and cry like that made her make a vow to herself that day. "I promise you will never cry like that again." She said to him, to which he cocked his head. "You are truly an odd individual." He would reply and the two would smile like the old friends they were. On the evening on Jose's seventeenth birthday, the two stood on a balcony and carelessly sipped some miscellaneous wine while looking us at the night sky. There was a peaceful silence that was broken by 9 words spoken by his best friend:_

_"I am going into training to become an assassin." She uttered bluntly as Jose spat out his drink in response "Are you mad!? You could be killed! The soldiers will never trust you and you will put us all in danger!" Jose said rather loudly in his bafflement. "I know what I'm doing. I have already thought this through and the place where I am to be trained is in Masyaf. So you all will be safe here, far, far away from the hell I am going into." She set her cup down and stared him straight in the eyes, a passionate look hanging in her blue orbs. He shook his head "Are you positive this isn't the alcohol speaking for you instead of your own mind?" she nodded "I've thought it over for a few years and it just feels right to me." Jose touched her shoulders, nearing their faces more so as to grab her attention. "Angelus, why are you really doing this?" he asked sternly. She paused for a moment, her gaze focusing from one of his eyes to the other before she replied. "You and I both want to know who took our lives away from us so cruelly that day. So I'm taking it upon myself to find and, if they still live, return the favor to whomever did such a thing." She spook coldly and clearly, her voice only audible to Jose, her not wanting to draw attention. "You know I won't let you do that. Angelus, you are all I have left. Auntie is a good caretaker for the majority of needs, but you mean so much to me. You are the one who stuck by me and shouted back at those who whispered about us on the street; you are… you are everything I have and everything I want to keep in my life. I cannot allow you to just go off and possibly die while you are out there."_

_She looked up at him, determination in her gaze "But you cannot stop me from doing this, can you?" "I suppose I cannot… so that is why I am going with you." His voice held unsureness mixed with finality, her mouth was agape by this point. "Jose, this is my turn to ask, are you mad?" he shook his head with a careless, goofy grin, pressing his forehead against hers, his smiling fading as he whispered "I cannot afford to lose the people I love again." She slapped his arm "Don't say such meaningful stuff to a mere companion Jose; save that for your wife." He chuckled at her response and neither of them said anymore before separating and leaning against the balcony again, looking up at that familiar star speckled night sky._

_5 years passed as the two of them trained and went on mission after mission, some together, some apart. The two went up in ranks rather quickly, but since Angelus was always more daring and confident, she was always a higher rank than him, save for the first 7 months of training as novices. Angelus was awarded with an advanced skill ranking at the age of 19, while Jose was given his plate to symbolize that he was out of the novice ranks and at least skilled enough to go out on his own. He was not necessarily bad at it, he just had some difficulties doing advanced maneuvers and techniques, but overall he was rather good it at. The brotherhood just had a particular liking for the passionate 'never give up never surrender' attitude his friend had, which he could not blame them for noticing. It is part of the reason he fell for her in the first place, but he always told himself to keep that in the back of his mind and never let it surface._

_During their training they met two other young assassins by the names of Paul and Gabrielle, who would quickly become good friends of theirs. Paul was the youngest of the group and so he took the longest to come out of the novice ranks, but the others eagerly awaited that day, the day the honey-haired man came down the steps and the four erupted in cheers of praise. This was the last normal day the four of them would have together before Angelus would be sent off to Jerusalem and everything in their lives would change._

Now, at the age of 23, Jose's memory has left him, and everything him and his best friend Angelus went through has been forgotten. It is up to her to make a decision: let Jose live a blissful life without the pains of his past, or remind him of his childhood traumas and everything she fought to help him heal from. Or, to put it into simpler terms: leave Jose without his memories of her, or remind him that she exists.


	10. Chapter 10

"W-Who is Angelus?"

Those words stung like poison daggers in her stomach and a painful ringing filled her ears as her crystal-like eyes, which normally held so much passion and confidence, now looked as if they were about to shatter.

"Jose… this isn't the time to joke like that." Paul said sternly, almost like a parent scolding a child. "But I'm not joking! This is no jest! I have not the slightest idea who that woman is!" Jose defended himself honestly. "Please… drop it Jose. The poor dear's been through enough while you were gone." Gabrielle cooed, hoping her gentler approach would convince him to 'drop the act'. "Must I repeat myself? This is no Jest!" Jose nearly shouted as Sabastian, literally, jumped in. "He tellin' the truth folks! Jose here got his noggin hit something bad and could barely remember his first name by the time I got to 'em!" he held his arms out in front of Jose "All he knew was that he had two friends named Gabrielle and Paul and the name of a city called Masyaf!" silence filled the room until Anna spoke up "It what you call loss of memory… how say, amnesia?" Each person looked at each other, wondering where to go from here.

"Well um… this is an awkward turn of events isn't it? I apologize for doubting you, Jose; now, why don't we discuss the rest of this over tea?" Paul offered, wanting to break the silence as well as provide a distraction from the emotion-heavy atmosphere which he knew what about to take place in a few moments.

* * *

Pulling on his hood to hide his face more he traveled on foot, not wanting to draw attention to himself as he made his way through the crowded streets and climbed up a ladder in a secluded alleyway to reach the rooftops. His hood fell in the process, allowing his shoulder-length wavy black hair to flow freely over his shoulders and dark, elf-like face; describing Anthony like an elf was more accurate than he liked to believe. He was tall and lean, but still thin with angular facial features and pouted lips, he was a handsome man with an intimidating look about him. One you would take one look at and veer to the other side of the street, fearing that if you took one step out of line in his presence you would be dead within that same hour. His gaze looked cold to those who did not know him, but his smile could disarm anyone, man or woman, and gain their trust with the way his eyes crinkled. Everything about Anthony Rabmag could be described as 'handsome'… even his body hair, to an extent.

He made his way over the rooftops, from on ledge to the next, with all the grace and gentleness of a dove in his leaps and landings. Even his footsteps were light, yet strong; intimidatingly handsome. He kept going until he reached a familiar symbol marking on a particular roof that led into a bureau where a particular man with one arm worked, he hopped inside and made his way up to the man, who held out a blade to the intruder, who, in turn, held his hands up to show he was unarmed. "I mean you no harm Malik Al-Sayf and I apologize for trespassing, but I need to speak to you about some young assassin's I know you know."

* * *

"Hear me out, I know it hurts and you want to keep that pain from him, but it is his memory… he has every right to know." Gabrielle spoke softly to a currently pensive Angelus. "But I made a vow to him; I swore to God I would never allow him to experience that much desolation again!" Gabrielle held her nose bridge, feeling a headache coming on as Anna spoke up. "People have many pain in lives, but people still smile like Anna. So why Mister Jose cannot learn smile too?" The two other women in the room looked at Anna, a small smile pulling at Angelus' lips. "You… You have a point, but I still have to ask Jose if he really wants me to tell him." Gabrielle raised a brow at her. "You, and everyone else here knows he is going to tell you to elaborate on the past he had long forgotten… but there's no telling if that will hurt or help him."

After a short while the three of them emerged from the back room, joining the others at the table only briefly before they made the unanimous decision to leave the explanation to Angelus and only Angelus, leaving her and Jose completely alone, sitting across from each other at a small table. A somewhat uncomfortable silence hung in the air before she finally had the courage to speak; she knew in her mind that this was for the best, but her heart was telling her not to. Not to bring that grief upon him… but she knew it had to be done, whether or not it made her happy was unimportant.

* * *

He thanked Malik for his services while leaving, his pockets lighter after having to empty the majority of his funding's from them to get the information out, he began his trek across the rooftops once again, this times towards the place where it all began, the place where it all began. "Masyaf..." Anthony muttered to himself before taking off in a sprint and out the city, onto his horse he rode at full speed. To get from Jerusalem to Maysaf would be a much shorter trip on horseback than on foot and he could not help but smile excitably to himself at the thought of finally meeting the woman of his dreams face-to-face.

* * *

She was not sure if she had blacked out or if time had frozen and she just was not made aware, since she was being held closely in the arms of her childhood friend, his chair long forgotten and toppled on the floor. She glanced around in her confusion before hesitantly moving her arms to hug Jose back, feeling her eyes well up slightly as he spoke. "I'm so sorry… it must have been so hard… hearing me question your existence. Please, please try to find it in your heart to forgive me." Jose's words caused her jaw to tighten as one tiny droplet trickled down her cheek. "I have no reason not to forgive you… consider it my gift to you." He pushed away just enough to look her in the eyes. "A gift? What have I done to deserve a gift?" he ran his thumb over her cheek, wiping her tear away. "Jose… you've forgotten what today is too, haven't you? It's the twenty-fourth anniversary of your birth." Angelus smiled weakly at him as his eyes started to widen, before softening while he stroked her cheek gently. "Angelus, I think I just remembered something on my own… there was something I wanted to tell you. Something rather… important." Jose spoke softly, like the way Angelus spoke to him the night she told him she was going off to training to become an assassin.

"I remember you telling me about that before… are you going to elaborate?" she looked up at him, not breaking eye contact for a second. He smiled sweetly at her, leaning in to whisper five small words to her before pressing his lips against hers after hearing her reply.

_"I'm in love with you."_

_"The feeling is mutual."_

**_To be continued…_**

* * *

**_HEEEEEEEEEYYYY _**it's not very often I leave an author's note, but after an ending to a chapter like that (JOSE AND ANGELUS ARE A THING FINALLY) I had to.

I know this chapter was a little jumpy, forgive me I was writing fast because today is actually my bestest friend GLORIA'S birthday! Gloria is the inspiration for Jose so I thought it was only appropriate to make today Jose's birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GLORIA, MY HOE AMIGA

_**reviews are my life btw pls feed my inbox**_


	11. Chapter 11 (sorry this took so long)

_Two days later_

"We cannot remain here for the rest of our lives you know! We have to keep moving before people find us, we're fugitives for God's sake!" Gabrielle raised her voice a Paul, whose irritated expression from just having been woken up only worsened with someone yelling in his face; he slicked his messy honey-colored hair back with a groan. "Gabrielle, I know this concerns you and the others, but where do you propose we go?" a deathly silence hung in the air for several moments, no one dared to move but their eyes darted from one person to the next before an accented voice spoke up. "It is only suggestion, but we could try go Russia maybe? It is very, very cold there and very far away." Gabrielle pursed her lips in thought. "Russia? There's no telling how long it would take us to get there! Thank you Anna, we may revisit that idea but… we need something fast, something that'll get us out of this cramped little cottage and away from the people who want some of us dead." Just then, as if on cue, a knock is heard at the cottage door, snapping everyone's attention to it as no one dared make another sound.

A few beats passed before Sabastian approached it hesitantly and opened it, just enough for him to stick his head out as a masculine voice on the other side began speaking to him. "Good morning sir, I'm sorry to intrude this early but I'm looking for some people… Did you happen to see a group of say, 3 men and 3 women walking through town? I know that's not very specific but if you have then I'll go into more detail to see if you've seen who I've been looking for." Sabastian gave the man a sort of blank stare, trying his best to make his thoughts not appear on his face, and succeeding. "It depends, maybe I've seen a groupin' of six men an' women, an' maybe I haven't. Why're you lookin' for some folks anyhow?" the tall man on the other side of the door smiled weakly. "Oh, uhm… That's a bit personal but erm… I'm on a sort of mission for the organization I work for and I need to ask these six individuals in particular some questions. They look like a fairly average group, but their diversity lies within their mixed personalities and histories and they are essential to my mission." Sabastian's eyes widened for a moment as he glanced inside, his eyes pleading for someone to help him decide what to say to this man. Just as Sabastian was about to respond, a pair of thin arms wrapped around his shoulders as a red haired girl smiled up at the stranger; "This man is a good man." Anna said confidently, as a smile began to decorate Anthony's face. "Why, it's been a while hasn't it young lady?" Anthony grinned at Anna, signaling that the two knew each other.

The two began conversing back and forth, all the while Sabastian's expression growing more confused by the moment as he glanced between the two, before he finally interrupted them "Now wait just a damn second! How in blazes do you folks know each other!?" Anna and Anthony immediately stopped catching up as Anthony began: "Well, I'd love to tell you, but I would feel all sorts of discomfort doing so standing in the open like thi-" Before Anthony could finish his sentence, Anna shoved Sabastian aside into Jose's chest rather roughly, a stronger shove than she should have been able to manage considering her stick-like arms, and pulled the door open widely, the look in her eyes could only be described as one that read 'say no more'. Anthony entered slowly, holding his open palms out in front of him as a way of saying he meant no harm to the people inside, his gaze fell on the exact person he'd been most excited to see, a short woman with black curls and gorgeous, chocolate colored eyes staring at him intently. He could not control himself as he grabbed both her hands and dropped into a kneeling position in front of her, a now completely baffled expression decorating Gabrielle's features as she stared down at the handsome captain. "My lady! All these long hills of… of looking for you have made me look upon nothing, a-and see years but the hill of your glistening… your glistening beauty is one I had to climb to seek out your… hills in this world hills!" Anthony completely fumbled over attempting to recite a poem, his cheeks turning red as the airy laughter coming from Gabrielle filled the previously silent room. "Oh my gods, that was the most darling thing I've seen in quite a while." She wipes a small tear from her eye, her bright smile only making the redness in Anthony's face stronger as he stands up straight, facing away from her and clearing his throat. "Now, on to what I came here for: I need allies."

* * *

"So, you want US to help take down your father's organization AND murder him?" Paul summarized after the long winded speech Anthony had given, as he nodded in reply. "And you spared us all those times we were meant to be killed, so we would feel obligated to assist you in this task?" Paul said, crossing his arms with an unamused expression playing on his features. "That… Well, I cannot deny that, but that is a rather blunt way of saying it." Anthony admitted; the others exchanged questioning looks, as if discussing the pros and cons with their eyes. "We'll do it." Paul said after a moment, causing Anthony to snap his head up with shock in his eyes. "We'll help you; all of us here have experienced some sort of pain in our lives, whether it be the loss of family…" Paul glances from Sabastian to Angelus. "Or a loss of memories that are too painful for a child to have experienced, and then reminded of…" he glances towards Jose. "Neglectful, abusive parents…" Paul's gaze falls on Anna. "Being called a traitor, tortured, and nearly killed, when in actuality it turns out you were helping to save all of our lives…" he smiles sympathetically towards Gabrielle. "All of us have gone through pain in our lives, we know what it is to have little, and what it is to have much. So we all know that it must hurt so deeply, and that is why we're going to help you." Anthony glances from one face to the next, each smiling or nodding reassuringly; Anthony feels his eyes begin to well a tiny bit. "Each and every one of you has my deepest gratitude… but I do have one more question;" Anthony stares directly at Paul.

"You mentioned that each of the people here has experienced pain and excuse me if this is too personal but… What pain have you experienced, Paul?"

_To be continued…_


	12. Chapter 12: Paul's Proem (WARNING)

**WARNING WARNING THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF CHILD ABUSE, MURDER, AND BRUTALITY. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO READ THIS BUT WOULD STILL LIKE TO READ THIS CHAPTER, THIS CONTENT OCCURS UNDER THE SECTION LABELED '_11 years ago_' YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.**

* * *

_12 years ago_

_"Get back here! Give her back! Bastards!" Screamed the honey-headed young boy as he chased after two men on horseback. "Give Christine back! You thieves!" The little boy sobbed and kept running after the horse-riders, his eyes focused on a small sack attached to one of the saddles; but alas, his small legs could not keep up with the horses._

_He fell flat on the ground, sand getting all over they boy's tear-soaked face and sweaty palms, scratches littered in various places on his body, yet he stood again. He did not glance back, he did not think of his parents, he only thought of the little girl with honey-colored hair and soft blue eyes, just like his. "Christine!" He shouted and began his sprint again, following the hoof-prints in the sand. On and on he went, with nothing but the clothes on his back and one thought in mind: He had to get his little sister back._

_11 years ago_

_13 years of age, a young, dirt covered boy sprints through a dark, wet cavern, panting with determination in his gaze. She was here, just up ahead; that old man with the streaks of grey in his hair had told Paul that Christine was here. Paul did not question it, not for a single moment, all he had in mind was saving his little sister and returning home, he swore to himself he wouldn't come back until he found Christine._

_Around one corner, around another, twists, turns, puddles, dead ends, he remained vigilant. He heard voices, he saw old men in a fancy looking room talking in some language Paul had never heard before. He saw prison cells, he slowed his pace to look inside them, one in particular caught his gaze, with its door wide open, he peaked inside._

_"C-Christine...?" He whispered, approaching the young girl who had nothing but a torn rag covering her body along with dirt, dust, and... some dried, crusty, whit-ish yellow substance Paul had never seen before al over her face and body. The girl remained motionless, her once joyful eyes now hazed over and lidded, her once round, rosy cheeks now hallow and pale; he shook her a bit, she was stiff. She smelt like death. "Christine!" He gabbed both of her unusually bony shoulders and shook her around, her head flopped around lifelessly as he noticed more and more dried cuts and scrapes all over her body. Tears welled in the young boy's eyes as he let out a scream, a blood-curdling scream; one that someone might only let out once in their lifetime, maybe never. A shriek of complete and utter hopelessness, of realizing all one had set out to work for, of all that one suffered through, was all for nothing._

_Heavy footsteps began pounding in the distance, someone was coming for him; Paul stood slowly, noticing a somewhat rusted blade on the floor of the cell, no doubt it was used as a torture device on his little sister. He stepped out of the cell slowly, watching as a man was just passing, and tripped him. The man turned over only to be met with a boy with empty-looking eyes peering down at him, as if his soul had been torn from his body; this was the last thing this man saw before a knife with hurled into his chest, repeatedly. Paul continued to stab into the lifeless man's corpse, expressionless all the while; splatters of red now covered his arm and parts of his already worn clothing. He stood up again, panting, and let his gaze wander back to the direction of where that fancy room with all those old men was, remembering how they were the ones responsible. How they killed his little sister, and Paul's mind went blank as he charged to that room, bloodied knife held tightly in his small hand._

_9 years ago_

_Paul Harkensen, 15 years of age, self-proclaimed orphan out of guilt for not being able to return home with his little sister. He wandered through the streets where others went out of their way to avoid him; a tall teenager who was just turning into a man with emotionless eyes and a slouch that showed he was not one to be trifled with. His stride was long and bounce-less, he glided over the ground more than actually stepping on it, and his made close to no sound. Sun burns and blisters covered his skin, signifying he'd gone through extreme conditions like that of trekking across scorching deserts and freezing mountains, the bags under his eyes made him appear older than he was._

_That was when a girl about his age tripped over his feet while sprinting past, her white garbs caused her to stand out, which caused Paul's reflexes to activate and catch the girl with dark ringlets before she hit the ground and put her back on her feet, he began to walk away without so much as a nod in her direction, but she followed him "Thank you so much sir! Might I say I was quite impressed with your swift movements, how did you learn to do?" the short girl said cheerfully, to which Paul replied coldly; "The hard way. Watch where you're going next time." To which the girl smiled deviously and linked arms with him, starting to pull him with her. "I'm Gabrielle by the by, you'll get to know me as the years go by." to which Paul gave her a perplexed look "What in god's name are you speaking of? Let me go this instant you clumsy woman!" to which Gabrielle simply hummed merrily, pulling him towards the Assassin's Headquarters, where the two of them would spend the next 7 years in training together, and eventually meet another pair, who would become their closest companions._

_Present day_

A man, 24 years of age, weeps silently in his seated position, in front of all he has in his life, the only people he has to look out for and who will stand right by him. A guilty expression hangs on Anthony's face as Gabrielle holds Paul gently. No one made a sound, everyone had tears in their eyes, then Jose and Angelus walked over and held Paul along with Gabrielle, staying silent.

"So... that is why..." Paul began, his voice weak. "That's why I'm so protective of you three... even if you do not realize it, for the reasoning that... you all, you're basically my family." This one sentence, coming from the man who'd always seemed so headstrong, broke the people who had thought they could not be broken anymore.

_But they were, and still are, __**dead **__**wrong.**_


	13. Chapter 13 (read the AN)

After calming themselves, everyone returned to normal conversation, trying to establish a closer bond with Anthony as well as each other, while Gabrielle slipped away; Sabastian, with his short attention span, noticed her and decided to follow, creeping up on her as she took off out the back entrance to the cottage and leaned on the railing of the porch. "And just where do ya think yer goin'?" he said cheerfully behind her, causing her to jump and turn to face him, emitting a small yelp. "Oh gods... You scared me half to death Sabastian!" Gabrielle raised her voice a tiny bit, still a little annoyed but quickly calmed upon seeing Sabastian snicker softly. "Apologies ma'am, I just couldn't help but notice ya sneaking away from us all. An' I couldn't help but notice a funny look on that pretty lil' face of yours back there whilst Paul was tellin' us about his life." Sabastian leaned on the railing beside Gabrielle while closing the door behind him and giving her a gentle smile. "I-I was just showing my remorse for his struggles..." She glanced away from Sabastian, obviously lying. "Mhm. Sure. And I bet Mister Anthony meant to mess up that there poem so terribly on purpose. Look, ma'am, I'm an honest boy, so I know guilt when I seen it! There was a lot more than remorse hangin' in those twinkly brown eyes of yours." Sabastian nudged her gently, trying to ease her into the conversation.

"Well, to be completely truthful with you, I did feel guilty; you see, I look around me, and I know that everyone I surround myself with has some kind of childhood or... recent trauma they've endured, and I... I haven't had anything like that happen to me. I had an average childhood, loving parents, a responsible elder sister, a roof over my head, nothing out of the ordinary." Gabrielle sighed, staring up at the clouds. "The worst I've experienced in life is almost being hanged but... that's nothing compared to what you all have gone through!" Her voice raised again, as if she was yelling at herself. "I feel like such an outsider compared to all of you and yet I have no business feeling sorry for myself when everyone I know has suffered so much and I've lived the good life..." She hung her head, feeling ashamed. "Y'know, while ya might think of yourself as less of'a person for not going through a ton of stuff, and you might be mad at yourself for feeling bad about yourself but... but dag nabbit, there ain't nothing wrong with feeling sorry for yourself sometimes! Ya ain't any less of a person for being different from the rest of us. As a matter of fact, I think that makes ya special!" Sabastian announced with pep, patting her back lightly.

Gabrielle looked at him in surprise, before her eyes softened and her mouth pulled into a smile similar to one a mother would have after her child had given her a bouquet of wildflowers for no reason besides the fact that the child wished to do so out of love. Gabrielle leaned in and pecked Sabastian on the cheek lightly, causing his face to flare bright red at the sudden gesture. "Thank you... You didn't have to do this but... You must be one of the kindest men I know, Sabastian." She grinned sweetly at him, as he was still holding his cheek in disbelief. "I-It was my pleasure m-ma'am!" He stuttered out, saluting and causing Gabrielle to giggle lightly at his flustered expression.

* * *

"So..." began the brunette as she leaned against the wall, giving Anthony a questioning glance. "How can we be so sure you're not leading us into our deaths, or a trap, or both?" She crossed her arms, shoeing her distrust towards the captain. "I assure you, I mean no harm to your comrades, as well as yourself. While I cannot promise you will not be struck down in battle, I can say this;-" He took both of her hands, looking into her blue eyes with sincerity. "-I will do everything in my power to insure that you all will make it there without so much as a scratch on you." Angelus felt her knees start to cave, easily manipulated by Anthony's charming looks and gentle grip on her hands. "I-I see... but I still cannot trust you." She stuttered out, ripping her hands from his grip. "Is there something that can be done to make you trust me? If there is, I will do everything possible to earn your trust." Anthony said, determination in his gaze.

A smirk slowly grew on her face as her eyes narrowed, she stood in her toes and whispered to him. "Gabrielle is like the sister I'd never been granted with, so it will take a lot before I approve of you going after her." Anthony took a step back, a small amount of fear lacing his gaze. "Y-Yes... of course. That is rather reasonable and respectable." Anthony gulped, feeling her glare sinking into his skin, as if trying to see if he was being sincere or not. "Good. I'm happy to see that you're agreeing to my terms. Now, if you want our help, we need your help; see, we can't exactly LEAVE this cottage without constantly being on the look out for the people who want us dead. But you..." She gave Anthony a once-over again. "You could go back and forth from here to that market if you wanted, so in exchange for us helping you murder your father and take down his organization, I want you to get all the supplies we'll need. Does that sound like a good deal to you?" She placed her arms akimbo, waiting for his response. "Another reasonable decision... I accept. Would you want me to go out now?" Before Angelus could reply, a shriek rang through the air from the back of the house.

The group of 5 (Paul, Jose, Anna, Angelus, and Anthony.) ran towards the back, bursting through the door, only to find their two other friends on the ground, each with an arrow sticking out of their body, each with a note attached. Anthony and Jose knelt at Gabrielle and Sabastian's sides respectively, examining them to see if they were alright; Sabastian coughed a few times, squinting his eyes in the light. "Horsemen... in blue." Sabastian coughed out, voice sounding raspy. Everyone exchanged glances as the color drained from Anthony's face.

"They're looking for me." He muttered out, a look of horror playing on his features as a silence hung in the air, only the sound of the breeze picking up filled the silence as seven people realized they didn't have anymore time. They had to act, or they would die; Anthony took the note off the arrow that was plunged into Gabrielle's upper arm and read aloud. "Consider this a warning. Surrender or perish."

* * *

A/N: I'm trying to update as much as possible this week since I go back to school on Friday, August 14th. *cries* SO I'm trying to post at least on chapter a day until then. I missed yesterday since I was out until 9pm and was exhausted so I'll try to post two TODAY.

Pray for my soul; school starts in 3 days counting today...


	14. Chapter 14

"There is no poisoning. You will live." Anna announced to the now fully conscious Gabrielle and Sabastian, who smiled thankfully at her after she had patched them up, Sabastian still a bit dazed from the event. "What were you two thinking!?" shouted Jose, a mix of worry and anger decorating his face and posture. "We were just getting some air! There is no need for to raise your voice." Gabrielle barked back at Jose, not wanting to go into too much detail about her and Sabastian's previous conversation.

Angelus walked over and sat by Sabastian, giving him a concerned gaze. "Are you feeling any better? Do you want some water or anything like that?" She placed her hand on his back tenderly to get his attention, he raised his head and smiled at her. "Have I ever told ya that ya look just like my Ma, Angelus?" Sabastian said a little too cheerfully, causing Angelus to glance towards Jose in her confusion. "I do now? What... What exactly did she look like?" She inquired "Well, she was 'bout your height, a lil' on the heavy side but her kindness made her look right past that. Actually, she's been gainin' more and more by the day recently; maybe I should visit soon. She's probably mighty worried about me." Sabastian chuckled out, now Jose stared at him in disbelief, glancing at Angelus's rather irritated expression before asking. "Sabastian... And just... Where IS your mother?" Sabastian gave Jose a questionable look, cocking his head to one side. "If that ain't the silliest question I've ever heard... She's home, of course! Probably fixin' Pa supper. Oh, Ma makes the best beef stew!" The look on Sabastian's face showed that he was in no way kidding about what he was saying.

"Repressed memory." Anna spoke up while standing off to the side. "Mister Sabastian only remember certain things. Is not amnesia, he is picking his memories." Paul perked his head up. "Anna, how is it you know so much about medicine and psychology when you were abandoned at a young age and never received a proper education?" Anna shrugged. "When you live on own for most of life you have time to learn things. Just ask man on streets and he will tell you many things." Paul opened his mouth to speak, but closed it thinking it would be better if her didn't know about the kind of man Anna had been taught by; who knows what ELSE he could have taught her.

-TIME SKIP TO A WEEK LATER AFTER THEY STARTED THEIR JOURNEY-

The fire cracked gently in the brisk evening air, hidden in the trees, only illuminating their campsite as two men sat awake, keeping watch for predators, bandits, or anything else that could cause them harm. "Hey... Jose?" Sabastian spoke softly, his voice cracking a bit. "Could I... Could I be honest 'bout somethin' with you?" Jose nodded without a word. "Tomorrow we're heading to that big ol' headquarters with all them soldiers and such... There really ain't no goin' back from that and if I'm being completely honest I'm absolutely terrified about what might happen to ya'll and myself!" He balled his hands into fists, clenching his jaw rather tightly. "I understand your feelings completely... After all, I too am terrified." Jose admitted after a pause, catching Sabastian off guard.

"Yer scared!? I thought I'd never see the day when you showed fear!" Sabastian said a little too loudly, causing Paul to stir in his sleep: "Ro... Hael... Ace... Thia..." Paul muttered in his sleep, Sabastian and Jose thought nothing of it, assuming he was only mumbling about what he was dreaming of. "Yes. I'm scared Sabastian; I'm scared of losing anyone, possibly everyone, scared of dying, I'm... scared of losing my second family." Jose knitted his brows together, his gaze fixated on the ground just as he felt Sabastian struggle to put his arm around Jose's shoulder, since Sabastian was a good 9 inches shorted than Jose.

Jose smiled blithely, a warm feeling in his chest by the actions associated with Sabastian's caring nature as he bent down a bit allowing Sabastian's arm to wrap around his shoulders comfortably. "I'd be surprised if there was one person here who wasn't even a little tense about what we're heading into... Sabastian I... If something happens to me I... I want you to take care of Angelu-" "Now hold it just a darn minute! Ain't nobody makin' any 'if I die' promises yet, for all you know we're all gonna make it out without a scratch on us!" Sabastian stopped Jose from saying any more on the issue, knowing that the promise Jose wanted him to make was something he would be incapable of doing.

The two's positions of night watch were soon replaced by Gabrielle and Anthony, who sat back to back on a stump as an awkward silence hung in the air, unsure gulps were emitted from them both at different times. They remained mostly silent for a good half hour, only commenting on idle things such as the weather and the quite of the woods before one of them finally spoke up. "My father, Tarkus Rabmag, he is in no way a merciful man. If he finds any of us he will not hesitate to strike, especially if he isn't noticed. Miss Harlan, I don't doubt your skills as an assassin, but it might be safer for you and Sabastian to stay behind with Anna by the horses; Sabastian isn't very well trained in combat, even though we have been doing all in our ability to teach him, and... I couldn't live with myself if you got hurt." Gabrielle sighed after a moment's hesitation. "Anthony, I appreciate the gesture, but I'm perfectly capable of handling myself. Moreover, I believe I've already stated that you don't have to refer to me in such a formal manner."

"I was taught to always show the utmost civility for women and speak to them using their last name unless the woman in question is my relative or wife." Anthony said matter-of-factually, causing Gabrielle to giggle. "Gods, you're so up-tight. Is there any part of you that isn't polite and detail-oriented?" Anthony straightened his already perfected posture. "Not that I can recall at the moment; I prefer for everything in my life to be as perfect as can be." Now Gabrielle had to bust out into a giggle fit. "Oh Gods you're worse than I thought! That was a rhetorical question... But it was yet another rather endearing thing that you've said to me." Anthony's cheeks flared as the two kept going back and forth until right before sunrise when they woke the others since today would be their last day of travel before the beginning of the end.

* * *

_Who would live? Would they all perish? Find out in the epic conclusion of the next and final chapter of Something's Up, An Assassin's Creed Alternate Universe! Stay tuned and leave your comments below!_


	15. Chapter 15: Friends never say goodbye

Anna, Jose, and Angelus made their way down the narrow, lavishly decorated corridor that was a direct route from the west entrance; they stood at the ready and made their way down but oddly enough, there was not a guard to be found. No eyes to watch over these halls that must have cost a fortune to decorate and build, nothing to defend the entrance either just... emptiness. The three glanced to one another, their fear only more obviously written on their faces at the discovery of these empty halls; had the enemy known of their plot to kill their leader? Had they all fled ahead of time and was all the group had set out to do, done in vain?

"P-Perhaps we-" Anna was cut off by two firms 'shh's directed her way from her two skilled associates as they only went deeper into the fortress; not one knowing what to expect, but still going onward, their footsteps echoing in the otherwise empty halls, making it seem as if they were more filled than they physically appeared to be.

The same could not be said for the other half of the group, for they found themselves swamped with arches shooting at them, swords swinging their way accompanied by battle cries and followed by blood being spilt, twas a grusome sight indeed. The group of four kept going onward, slowly but surely, up the staircases and through the halls, but somehow getting separated in the crowd of slashing blades and arrows cutting through the air. Sabastian finding himself crouched in a corner, backing further into it and brushing against a small indent in the wall, which must have triggered what looked like a trap, as he found himself falling through the floor, down a long, winding tunnel which he toppled down, and into a dull looking dark room with a small fire pit burning in a tucked away area.

Standing up after a moment, rubbing his back which was now sore from that rather dramatic fall, he glanced around, noticing several sheets of paper, some papyrus even, decorating the walls and worn out looking tables; he walked with caution, watching for any other possible switches or traps. In the center of the room sat a round table with dusted, cob-web decorated chairs strewn about, he counted twelve chairs, but it looked as if there was room for more; in the center of the table was a rolled up scroll, with an equal amount of dust littering it. Sabastian stretched over the rounded table to reach the rolled up paper, unraveling it and coughing at the dust that fell out. Sabastian brought it over to the fire and sat, beginning to read what he had found.

Though nothing on this blue earth could prepare him for what he would find there, in faded black ink, read this: "I, The Royal Highness, King Bartholomew Reynolds, being of sound, mind, and body, leave my fortress, guards, power, and fortune all in the palms of my only brother, Theodore Reynolds. Should Theodore be unable to accept this fortune, I leave it to his first born son, whom I have only known for a short four years, but I know will be the great leader that he is destined to be, King, Sebastian Reynolds.". Sabastian froze, reading over it again and again, and once more until the words made his eyes hurt; this could not have been possible. Sabastian? Royalty? That was absolutely preposterous...

Stashing the scroll away in his coat, Sabastian began looking for an exit; there had to be a way out of here, there had to be some sort of switch. After all, this place definitely wasn't just some sort of servants' quarters, judging by the large table, all of the documents, and the general decor of the room, this had to have been a place where the king and his knights would meet with one another. Sabastian tried to keep quiet, for fear of someone waiting to ambush him or anything similar, but failed when he mis-stepped and slipped on the edge of a run-down fountain of dark water, letting out a wail as he fell. He sat up with a groan and gazed at the murky pool in front of him, noticing how it was in a rather odd place and was oddly shaped; most fountains has their geyser's centered but this one, this one had its spout pushed to one side, almost as if it had been moved for some sort of purpose. Sabastian sat on his heels and rolled up his sleeves right before plunging his arms into the blackness, feeling mud and stone for the most part, then brushing what felt like wood with one hand, followed by a metal hook with a rounded off end. He wrapped his fingers around this hook and yanked upwards, pulling the wooden piece out just above the water's surface enough to notice a chain attached to it as a large stone block lowered in front of him. He stood and approached it, flicking his arms to try and dry them as much as possible while walking as he stepped into a small area and opened a second old door, which led into a lavish hallway and, as he closed said door, he noticed that it blended into the walls and looked as if there was never a door there to begin with.

"That was... convenient." he muttered under his breath as he began walking down the hall without any sense of where he might be going. As he walked he kept on reflecting on that scroll he discovered; his name was indeed the same as that on the paper, spelling error aside, but his father was not named 'Bartholomew', so what was this all about? His thoughts were cut short by an ear-piercing screech that wasn't far from his location, by the sounds of it.

"Stay away! Stay back you bastards!" Admonished Gabrielle as more and more surrounded her, Anthony, and Paul. Just as one emited a battle cry and swung for her, he fell as an arrow pierced his knee, and a second being logged in his throat; Gabrielle allowed her gaze to travel upwards towards the ceiling rafters to gaze upon a familiar face. She smiled slightly looking up at Jose as she slowly noticed two others comrades on separate rafters, all three armed with bows and arrows. Soon the six began to fight off the soldiers, utilizing the combination of long and short range blows, as one by one the men suited in armor fell; the chaos of blood and bodies was halted by the two large wooden doors that were already slightly ajar being pushed open and a young, brown haired man stepped through.

At first, no one noticed him or showed any sort of concern about Sabastian, until one soldier froze, and pointed to the painting mounted above the large doors of a king standing proudly in front of what this fortress once looked like, in its better days. The soldier slowly approached Sabatian and stared him dead in the eyes, then looked back up at the painting; "It's... it can't be." said the man just above a whisper. Sabastian gave him a confused look and stepped back a bit, feeling uncomfortable. "Sir Arlert! Come quick!" Shouted the soldier, which caused the rest of what little fighting remained to slowly stop, with all the attention being turned towards the young man standing in the doorway as Sir Arlert approached. "God almighty... eyes of jade, just like king Reynolds..." spoke Sir Arlert, glancing Sabastian up and down.

Both soldiers stopped their staring and stood stiffly suddenly, as a bony, frosty hand adorned with rings clutched Sabastian's shoulder. Anthony took a step back and let out a growl as his eyes- which now looked more like an animal than a human- landed on the man standing behind Sabastian. Sabastian slowly turned his head and stared up at the vial looking elderly man, who wore a confidant smirk that sent a chill down Sabastian's spine. "Oh my, now why was I not informed of this little gathering? You all are such rude house guests." Spoke the man. ((A/N: Anthony's father looks kind of like an elderly Jafar... only fatter. Sorry, that probably just ruined the mood ^^;)) "Unhand the boy!" shouted Anthony, holding his sword out, prepared to charge at any given moment. The elderly man, Tarkus Rabmag, just chuckled sisterly whilst waving his free hand in a signal which made all the guards that were still living become more alert, all of them turning their attention to the group of wannabe-heroes. "Now, why don't we throw a proper party? It seems our guest of honor arrived before the host, but that in no way means we can't still show him some entertainment..." Tarkus paused, pulling out a blade and pressing it to Sabastian's throat. "...Dance for me." Tarkus smirked as the fighting commenced once again, watching as swords flew back and forth, glistening in the light as wooden arrows breezed past, aiding in the take down of soldiers every now and then.

"I thought I killed you long ago... I'm going to make the mistake twice you little pest. The throne is mine, and I do not have any regrets about killing a third time to make sure it stays that way." Tarkus said right by Sabastian's ear. "You will release." Came the small, but stern voice of Anna, aiming her bow directly at Tarkus. "Oh my gods is this Satan appearing before me in the flesh? Stay back demon! I will not be visited by Satan twice in this life!" Tarkus spat the words at Anna, causing her eyes to widen as she realized something. "You... It is you!" Anna shouted, growling lowly. "You! Father! Abandoned Anna!" Anna nearly screamed at Tarkus, who took a step back. "How... I abandoned you in the snow... You should be dead!" Tarkus sounding like more coward than man, having two people here that he thought he had killed years ago. "You are such a fool! A sloppy man! You always put your trust into you incompetent men since you're too much of a coward to do any more work yourself!" Anthony shouted from the other side of the room, which was covered in blood and corpses, and where five stood tall, covered in wounds and blood themselves, looking battle worn; Paul, Jose, Gabrielle, Angelus, and Anthony.

Tarkus looked around at them all, his smirk now clearly gone and a new, enraged expression washing over his face, just as a small, elderly woman approached behind him, carrying rosary beads and looking quite ill. "I heard a commotion... Just what is going on in here?" she spoke, her high, sweet voice sounding rather calm for the situation at hand. "Pari! What are you doing outside of your quarters? I ordered you never to leave!" Tarkus spoke to the old woman with kind, tired looking eyes. "I hear a ruckus and I am expected to not question it?" Pari held her ground, glancing around and noticing Anthony, covering her mouth as her eyes landed on him. "Anthoy, My son! Where did you go?" She called out to him, her arms wide open, welcoming his presence. "Mother please stay back! It isn't safe here!" Anthony pleaded with his mother, Pari, who was about to speak, until Sabastian butted in; "Could someone PLEASE explain to me what in tarnation is goin' on here!? Why does this fella wanna kill me? Why does Anna know him? And, most importantly, WHY IN GOD'S NAME IS MY NAME ON THIS SCROLL!?" he shouted, pulling out said scroll from his jacket and tossing to Paul, who was ready to catch it, and opened it, reading the contents to the others: : "'I, The Royal Highness, King Bartholomew Reynolds, being of sound, mind, and body, leave my fortress, guards, power, and fortune all in the palms of my only brother, Theodore Reynolds. Should Theodore be unable to accept this fortune, I leave it to his first born son, whom I have only known for a short four years, but I know will be the great leader that he is destined to be, King, Sebastian Reynolds.'"

Pari covered her mouth with both hands, eyes filling with tears as she slowly approached Sabastian and touched his face. "It's... It's you. It's really you... You're the spitting image of your father; Gods, how I miss him." She spoke gently, a relieved grin on her face. "I'm... So glad you lived; I thought for sure that you would have died, but I guess those childless farmers took you in after all... M-My son Sebastian." Sabastian froze, slowly realizing... "Son...? Yer my... Yer my momma!?" Pari nodded "You are the child of Bartholomew and I... Before he was killed by..." She glared at Tarkus, then turned to Anna and approached her tentatively. "And you darling... are our daughter... I'm... So sorry... I wanted to keep you, I loved you dearly and still do but... He took you from me and called you a demon... My gods, you have become such a gorgeous young woman..." Pari reached out to Anna slowly, but Anna stepped back, still not trusting Pari, who withdrew her hand. "Damn you woman! Hold your tongue!" Tarkus called out to her, furious. "This was not yours to take! I was not yours to take! I had a husband, who you killed! He had a brother, who you murdered just the same! And then you tried to kill not one, but two children! You are selfish! Greedy!" Pari shouted at him, something she had never done. "Woman, know your place! If you disrespect me, you are to be killed." Tarkus called back to her. "Then kill me. You have murdered me every day that I have had to gaze upon your reached features and see the eyes that watched the man I loved take his final breath."

Tarkus snapped, plunging the blade he had pinned to Sabastian's throat into his back several times, the young man letting out pained cries every as the man behind him fell dead, two arrows lodged into his throat, letting Sabastian fall to the floor, but being caught by Jose. "Sabastian!" He called out, his eyes filling with tears; Sabastian coughed, trying to stay calm, but his chest kept rising rapidly as more and more of his blood leaked out, his skin already starting to lose pigment. "Jose..." he choked out, reaching up to grab his shoulder as the others crowded around Sabastian, trying to stop the bleeding. "You've got to hang on! You have to!" Gabrielle shouted desperately, tears running down her cheeks. "Gabrielle... come closer..." Sabastian said weakly as she came to him, panting as more tears only fell out. "Gabrielle... I wanted to..." he coughed weakly, pausing briefly. "I... Gabrielle, I've been... infatuated with ya since... Since the moment I laid eyes on ya..." He smiled, eyes glazing over. "... I just... never told ya since... I could never be a man for ya..." Gabrielle sobbed loudly, shaking her head. "But you can! You can be my husband! All you have to do is hold on! Please Sabastian, please live and we'll get married right away!" She pleaded with him as he moved his hand to cup her face. "Gabrielle... I ain't gonna make it through this... I just needed to tell ya I loved ya... I love all of y'all... ya all are my family..." Sabastian smiled, his eyes now closing. "Please don't get all... worked up over... little ol me... I'm headed somewhere nice." His smile slowly started to fade, as his breathing slowed down to a stop, and one last sentence escaped Sabastian's lips, which were now pale instead of their normal pink. "Ma, Pa... Is that you...?" His now ice hold hand dropped to the floor, hitting a puddle of his own blood. The group held each other, mourning Sabastian as sobs reigned through the air, Jose's being the loudest of them all.

A little while later, after they had calmed themselves, they wrapped up Sabastian's corspe and buried him by his father's grave, which was located in the back garden of the fortress. Jose found a large piece of marble, and made an epitaph for Sabastian. 'Here lies Sabastian Reynolds; the bravest and kindest young man I have ever known, and who's memory I will carry. His story will not be forgotten.'. The group then left the fortress, battle scared with bruises and scratches and patches of dried blood decorating their somewhat tattered clothes; Anthony held onto his mother and Gabrielle tightly, saying nothing as Paul leaned on Anna, and Jose stayed close to Angelus, everyone remaining quiet, even as they saddled up, but Jose noticed Sabastian's horse, Pablo, was headed towards where they has buried Sabastian, but decided not to interfere with the steed.

Once they were mounted, the pairs rode on together until they reached the outskirts of Masyaf, where they all embraced once more, before going their separate ways; Jose and Angelus heading to Jerusalem to start their life together, Anthony with Gabrielle and his mother heading to Italy to get a new start for themselves, and lastly, Paul and Anna left for Damascus. About a year later, Paul received a letter from Jose, informing him of Jose and Angelus bearing a son, whom they named after Sabastian, then Paul and Anna were wed not long after they settled down and became merchants; At that time, Gabrielle and Anthony were expecting their second child, their first being a daughter who inherited Anthony's good looks and Gabrielle's dark, beautiful, ringlet-ed hair.


End file.
